Majority disapprove of hosting UFC at White House as cost of living and inflation tower over other concerns
Cost-of-living anxiety continues to define the American mood. Asked which issues they personally care about most, half of U.S. adults reach first for the price of everyday life — far ahead of every other concern — and that same economic frustration colours how they grade the president. Donald Trump earns majority disapproval for his handling of the job overall, and his weakest marks come precisely on the pocketbook questions Americans say matter most.
New data from Angus Reid USA finds 56 per cent of Americans naming the cost of living and inflation among their top issues, while just 37 per cent approve of the way Trump is handling his job and 56 per cent disapprove. He is underwater on all 12 issues tested — relatively strongest on immigration and crime, weakest on inflation, where barely a quarter approve. Meanwhile a planned UFC card at the White House has cut through, with two-thirds aware of it, but it lands poorly: a majority disapprove of holding the event, and nearly three-quarters say they have no interest in watching.
Key findings
56%
name cost of living & inflation a top concern
37%
approve of how Trump is handling the job
25%
approve of his handling of inflation — his weakest issue
When Americans are asked which issues they care about most, one answer dwarfs the rest: 56 per cent point to the cost of living and inflation. Health care (35%) is a distant second, followed by ethics and corruption in politics (28%). No other issue is named by more than one in five except income inequality (19%) and immigration and border security (18%).
The concern is broad-based but tilts with age: worry about the cost of living climbs among older Americans, peaking among those 55 and older, while adults under 35 are markedly more focused on jobs and unemployment.
Thinking of the various issues facing the United States, which ones do you personally care about the most?
Q1 · select all that apply · n=1,003 · Angus Reid USA, June 9–11, 2026
Underwater overall — and split clean down party lines
Just over a third of Americans (37%) approve of the way Donald Trump is handling his job as president; 56 per cent disapprove. The intensity sits on the negative side: 46 per cent strongly disapprove, more than double the 19 per cent who strongly approve.
Overall, do you approve or disapprove of the way Donald Trump is handling his job as president?
QTR1 · n=1,003
Strongly approveModerately approveModerately disapproveStrongly disapproveNot sure / Can't say
The divide is almost entirely partisan. Among 2024 Trump voters, 74 per cent approve; among Harris voters, just 8 per cent do. Self-identified Republicans (73%) and Democrats (16%) mirror that gulf. Approval also runs somewhat higher among older Americans (43% of those 55+) than the young (33% of those 18–34).
Overall, do you approve or disapprove of the way Donald Trump is handling his job as president?
QTR1 · % who approve · n=1,003
Negative on all 12 issues — and weakest where it counts
Across every issue tested, more Americans disapprove than approve of how Trump is handling it. His relatively strongest areas are immigration and border security (41% approve) and crime and public safety (38%). His weakest is the very issue Americans rank first: inflation and the cost of living, where just 25 per cent approve and 69 per cent disapprove. The economy (32% / 63%) and government spending (29% / 63%) draw similarly steep disapproval.
And do you approve or disapprove of Donald Trump's handling of each of the following issues?
QTR2 · ranked by approval · n=1,003
ApproveDisapprove
Most have heard about UFC card at White House; majority disapprove
A planned UFC fight card at the White House on June 14 has broken through: 68 per cent of Americans say they have seen, read, or heard something about it, including 35 per cent who have heard "a lot." But awareness has not translated into enthusiasm. Just 33 per cent approve of holding the event at the White House while 53 per cent disapprove, and 72 per cent say they are not interested in watching the fights.
Overall, do you approve or disapprove of holding this UFC event at the White House?
QTR4 · n=1,003
Strongly approveModerately approveModerately disapproveStrongly disapproveNot sure / Can't say
And whether you approve or disapprove, how interested are you in watching this UFC fight card?
QTR5 · n=1,003
Very interestedInterestedNot that interestedNot interested at all
As with job approval, reaction tracks partisanship: 63 per cent of 2024 Trump voters approve of the event versus 7 per cent of Harris voters, and Trump voters are far likelier to tune in (45% interested vs. 10%). Even so, a majority of Trump's own voters (55%) say they are not interested in watching.
Methodology
Angus Reid USA conducted an online survey from June 9 – 11, 2026 among a representative randomized sample of 1,003 American adults who are members of Angus Reid Forum USA. For comparison purposes only, a probability sample of this size would carry a margin of error of +/- 3 percentage points, 19 times out of 20. Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding. The survey was self-commissioned and paid for by Angus Reid USA. Detailed tables are found at the end of this release.
For detailed results by age, gender, region, education, and other demographics, click here.
