President Donald Trump stated during his speech at the United Nations General Assembly last month that “grocery prices are down.” Do Americans feel it at the supermarket?
According to an Axios survey by The Harris Poll, most Americans believe it is harder to afford groceries compared to a year ago. The findings, released Thursday, show that 47% of the general public feel pain in their wallets, while 34% said that prices are about the same. Meanwhile, 19% of respondents think groceries are now easier to afford.
Among independents, 54% say groceries are more costly, compared to 50% of Democrats and 34% of Republicans. Republicans remained more split in their responses — with 28% arguing that they are easier to afford, while 37% say they are similar to last year.
The survey also found that 8 in 10 Americans believe the president has “significant influence” over the U.S. economy, and only 47% believe the current administration has had a positive impact on it, signaling a pressure point for Trump and the GOP ahead of the 2026 midterms. Less than 1 in 3 respondents maintain that tariffs have been beneficial for the economy, business or personal finances, while most Americans — standing at 63% — worry of shortages of key goods due to Trump’s signature policy.
“The midterms might hinge on a ‘cleanup on Aisle 4!’” John Gerzema, the CEO of The Harris Poll, told Axios.
The Axios survey revealed that the prices of staple items may be driving up discontent, as it finds eggs up 10.9%, ground beef up 12.8% and coffee up 20.9% over the last year. The rises in prices are following stark surges between 2021 to 2022, according to the survey, which indicates that total grocery prices have increased by over 30%.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics tells a similar tale, finding that food prices have increased 3.2% from August 2024 to August 2025, which is the most recent available data.
The survey compiled responses from 2,093 U.S. adults, 1,814 of whom are registered voters, from Sept. 11-13. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.4 percentage points for the overall population.
