CBS Poll: US Republicans Backing Trump on $12B Farmer's Aid Pact

President Donald Trump's plan to give $12 billion in aid to farmers affected by new tariffs has the support of a majority of Americans at 56 percent, but like almost everything in this divided political climate, the opinions differ among the parties in the latest CBS News 2018 Battleground Tracker.

"Both free trade, and resistance to federal programs distributing funds, have long been hallmarks of Republican Party policy, but Republican rank-and-file are mainly following the president on this," CBS News reported. "They also consider Mr. Trump a "different kind of Republican," and overwhelmingly say they like the fact that he is."

On the farmer's bailout alone, there is a wide partisan split:

• 78 percent of Republicans are in favor.
• Just 22 percent of Republicans oppose.
• Just 32 percent of Democrats are in favor.
• 66 percent of Democrats oppose.

Some Capitol Hill Republicans who have been resistant to the Trump administration throughout, expressed far less confidence in the bailout, but the likes of Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., and Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., have opposed just about everything the president has attempted to do.

The poll also revealed a majority of Americans and a majority of farmers – both at 51 percent – believe the tariffs are going to have a negative short-term impact on the economy. Farmers, though, are five percent more positive than all Americans the tariffs will lead to better trade deals, according to the poll.

The CBS News 2018 Battleground Tracker conducted by YouGov sampled 2,420 U.S. adults between July 26-28 with a margin of error of approximately 2.5 percent.

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