Almost half of those who voted for Donald Trump would blame him if the US economy goes into a recession, according to a new poll that comes as worrying signs have emerged showing that to be a possibility.
The poll, by Morning Consult, found that among those who said they voted for Mr Trump in 2016, 42 per cent would find him at least partially responsible if there is another recession.
Another 7 per cent would say he would bear sole responsibility for an economic downturn.
The poll will be a worrying development for Mr Trump, who has spent much of the past week downplaying the likelihood of a recession and bragging about the economy he has made a point of taking credit for - and which is thought to represent the best argument for re-electing him next year.
“I don’t think we're having a recession,” Mr Trump said on Sunday. “We're doing tremendously well.”
But he has also publicly considered potential ways to stave off such a recession anyhow, including during Oval Office comments this week in which he suggested he may cut payroll taxes temporarily to boost the economy.
He has also suggested that the Federal Reserve was abdicating its duties, insisting that the central bank should approve a big interest rate cut.
The president tweeted: "So Germany is paying Zero interest and is actually being paid to borrow money, while the U.S., a far stronger and more important credit, is paying interest and just stopped (I hope!) Quantitative Tightening. Strongest Dollar in History, very tough on exports. No Inflation!.........WHERE IS THE FEDERAL RESERVE?"
