Republicans are facing an enthusiasm crisis that could affect midterm turnout, with tariffs playing a central role, pollster Scott Rasmussen revealed this week.
"About 9 out of 10 Trump-base voters say that tariffs are good for the economy...more traditional Republicans disagree.
— Napolitan News Service (@NapolitanNews) February 26, 2026
The reason that's a problem is because the traditional Republicans are the ones who are already unenthusiastic about voting."@ScottWRasmussen talks tariffs,… pic.twitter.com/O9v2uow1IN
He further pointed to the broader view of tariffs, where 38% of voters expressed the belief that they were beneficial for the economy while 50% disagreed. Rasmussen's remarks came in the wake of the Supreme Court striking down the tariffs that Trump imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).
Trump has since imposed a global tariff of 10% under the 1974 Trade Act. Rasmussen likened the pivot to the Biden administration's implementation of a backup student loan debt plan after a similar Supreme Court loss and indicated it could be a play to drive up turnout from base voters.
Ben Whedon is the Chief Political Correspondent at Just the News. Follow him on X.
