A majority of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents say they do not earn enough to lead the kind of life they want, according to a Pew Research Center survey published October 14, highlighting financial dissatisfaction within President Donald Trump's political coalition ahead of the November 3 midterm elections.
The survey found that 52% of Republican-aligned adults said their income was insufficient for their desired lifestyle, compared with 46% who said they earned enough. Among Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents, 64% reported insufficient income, while 35% said they had enough.
Across the country, 60% of adults said their income fell short of their desired lifestyle, according to the survey conducted between July 20 and August 9.
The findings also showed that 38% of Republican-aligned respondents had struggled to afford at least one basic necessity over the previous year, compared with 48% of Democratic-aligned adults.
Overall, 44% of Americans reported difficulty paying for medical care, transportation or housing, or said they had obtained food from a food bank. The figure reached 71% among lower-income adults.
Financial pressures extended beyond essential expenses. Among Republicans and Republican-leaning independents, 63% reported cutting back on discretionary spending, including dining out and entertainment, while 49% lacked emergency savings sufficient to cover three months of expenses.
Despite those difficulties, Republican-aligned adults generally reported stronger personal finances than their Democratic counterparts. Pew found that 51% of Republicans had managed to save money over the preceding year, compared with 43% of Democrats.
A separate Pew report published October 8 found growing dissatisfaction with Trump's economic policies among Republican-aligned Americans. The share saying his policies had worsened economic conditions rose to 35%, up from 18% in January.
The findings align with a Reuters/Ipsos poll published October 9, which found that 64% of Republicans believed Trump's policies bore at least some responsibility for rising prices.
That survey also found that 57% of Republicans said their living expenses were increasing faster than their earnings.
The White House defended Trump's economic record in response to the Reuters findings. Spokesperson Taylor Rogers pointed to the administration's tax cuts and efforts to lower prescription drug costs as measures intended to provide financial relief to American families.
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