Americans believe tariffs will hurt U.S. economy, Gallup poll finds

NewsWorks Tonight host Dave Heller sits down for his weekly conversation with Gallup’s Frank Newport to talk about trends in U.S. opinion.

Gallup polled Americans about the tariff situation with China — the impact so far, and then potential long-run impact. In all instances, more said the tariff situation has and will hurt the U.S. economy, Americans personally, and U.S. employers more than it will help them. That opinion is contrary to President Donald Trump’s claim that the imposition of tariffs on China will, in the long run, help the U.S. economy and workers themselves.

New data show that about 9 percent of Americans adults use e-cigarettes or vape. This is about half the percentage who smoke conventional cigarettes.  Despite smoking’s well-known negative health consequences, , few Americans want smoking outlawed.

Gallup and U.S. data show a remarkable drop in smoking among young people — “plummeting” is the word often used. It may mean that percentage of those who smoke (16 percent, the lowest in Gallup’s history) may get closer and closer to zero in the years ahead.

Another controversy: Is moderate drinking (one or two drinks a day for men; one for women) good for your health? The public clearly isn’t convinced it’s positive — just 16 percent say it’s beneficial, while 28 percent say it’s harmful. The rest say it makes no difference.

But many researchers show data saying that moderate drinkers live longer than others and that drinking alcohol has a positive effect on cardiovascular health. Others say it may have a negative effect on probabilities of getting cancer.