Poll: Majority of Americans think Trump’s policies favor the wealthy

A new poll released Tuesday shows 58 percent of Americans believe President Trump’s policies favor wealthier citizens over the middle class or poorer citizens.

The Marist Poll survey shows 30 percent of Americans view the president’s policies as geared toward helping the middle class, and just 3 percent see them as beneficial to the poor. The results come as Trump and Congress are working to push tax-reform legislation through by the end of the year.

The new poll largely mirrored responses in March to the same question, when 57 percent of Americans thought Trump’s policies favored the richest citizens, and 25 percent though they favored middle-class earners. 

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A higher percentage of Republicans and Trump supporters see the middle class as the main beneficiary of his administration, according to the poll. Among Republicans, 69 percent think Trump’s agenda helps the middle class, and 68 percent of people who supported Trump in the 2016 election believe the same.

Republicans in the House and Senate are working on their respective tax bills, with some key differences between them. Senate Republicans said Tuesday that they are including the repeal of ObamaCare’s individual mandate in their legislation, something Trump has called for but that could cost the bill votes.

Democrats have ripped both tax-reform proposals as harmful to the middle class, pointing to the elimination of certain deductions that could ultimately lead to higher taxes for some middle-class families. 

Tuesday’s Marist poll showed Trump’s approval rating at 38 percent, though it differs widely depending on party affiliation. Roughly 80 percent of Republicans approve of Trump’s performance, and 89 percent of Democrats disapprove.

The poll surveyed 1,074 adults from Nov. 6 through Nov. 9. The margin of error is plus or minus 3 percentage points.