It won’t surprise even the most casual news consumer that Donald Trump’s electorate overwhelmingly trusts him when it comes to the economy. But in peeling back the layers, a clearer picture emerges of the reality that many of those voters also have an awareness of the nuance of what polices — like those he’s proposed for tariffs and trade — should consider.

A new poll from Consumer Brands Association and Morning Consult of Republican voters nationwide reflected just how much of an impact the economy had on the 2024 presidential election: 84 percent of Republicans said the economy and inflation should be the top priority of the second Trump administration, and another 76 percent want Trump to quickly address the cost of necessities like groceries.

And while a whopping 70 percent of Republican voters reported feeling “very favorable” toward the president-elect as he prepares to reenter the Oval Office, an even larger segment — 90 percent — are strongly against tariffs that are not targeted toward helping the next administration reach its goals and pose the risk of raising prices in households across the country.

As the pandemic quickly picked up pace now nearly five years ago, Consumer Brands worked with the first Trump administration to ensure consumer packaged goods companies were able to find substitutes for products they couldn’t access with supply chains under intense duress. Fast forward to today, and voters understand the need for exemptions when it comes to products that cannot be sourced or grown in the U.S. — and more than half (62 percent) of respondents said they want products that cannot be grown or produced domestically to be deemed exempt from future tariffs. Another 56 percent said they want products with limited domestic availability to be exempt as well.

The CPG industry is similarly committed to protecting and supporting manufacturing and the jobs it creates across the country as the incoming administration. As the single largest domestic manufacturing employer supporting more 22.3 million jobs, the companies that make the brands Americans turn to again and again strive to keep every part of their value chain in the U.S. but recognize some products cannot be made or produced here. This understanding was evident among Republican voters polled, with 83 percent saying they would support a strategic tariff scheme meant to protect U.S. manufacturing, with another 83 percent saying they support one in support of national security. More than half (57 percent) of Republican voters said American allies should not be subject to tariffs, reflecting a focus on strategy and security.

We’ve known the economy has long been the sticking point for voters across the country and this data show voters are grasping how the next administration can shape its policy that puts American households and jobs at the center while keeping common sense practices in place to further bolster American manufacturing.

The survey was conducted between November 26 and December 4, 2024. See more here.