Republicans in North Carolina have radically different assessments of the economy and President Donald Trump's performance in office than non-Republicans do, according to the latest Elon University Poll.
And Trump's standing has fared the worst among independents, with his approval rating swinging from 18 points more positive than negative six months ago to 36 points more negative than positive now.
North Carolinians' economic concerns have heightened in recent months, said Jason Husser, director of the Elon University Poll.
"What we're seeing is a public that's feeling squeezed by inflation, by tariffs and by uncertainty. When three out of four residents give the national economy a C or worse, it's more than simple partisan reaction, it's signal of real economic anxiety," he said.
The poll, conducted online Sept. 23-Oct. 1 by the marketing and polling firm YouGov, found that 86% of Democrats and 58% of independents in North Carolina say the national economy has gotten worse since Trump took office, but 56% of Republicans say it has gotten better; 87% of Democrats and 60% of independents say inflation is worse, but 83% of Republicans say it's the same or better than it was; and 82% of Democrats and 54% of independents say the job market is worse, but 84% of Republicans say it's the same or better than it was.
Perhaps not surprisingly, then, the outlook on Trump's performance in office is a night-and-day comparison.
The only group with a majority saying they approve of Trump's performance is Republicans, with 84% approval to 6% disapproval. That is virtually unchanged from the first Elon University Poll of Trump's second term, in March, which found 83% approval and 6% disapproval among Republicans.
Meanwhile, Trump's standing among the state's non-Republican voters has dropped as those voters' views of the economy have soured.
In March, Democrats registered 87% disapproval and 6% approval of Trump's performance, but a plurality of independents, 45%, approved and only 27% disapproved.
In the new poll, Democratic disapproval has inched up to 92%, but independents have swung strongly against Trump, with 56% now disapproving and just 20% approving.