Support for unrestricted international trade among American liberals has more than doubled since Donald Trump’s reelection in November, according to a new study by the Polarization Research Lab, shared by the Financial Times and widely circulated on social media.

Prior to the 2024 election, around 20% of both liberals and conservatives supported the idea of open imports and exports. But after Trump returned to office and announced steep tariffs on nearly 90 countries, liberal backing for free trade has soared—now with over 40% of left-leaning Americans expressing strong approval.

Trump’s aggressive trade stance, a key promise during his campaign, included imposing “reciprocal” tariffs in hopes of boosting U.S. revenue and job creation. While most tariffs were delayed for 90 days and set at a minimum rate of 10%, China was excluded from this pause, with some of its exports facing duties as high as 145%.

The shift in public opinion appears to reflect a deepening political divide. While liberal support for free trade has surged, conservative support has slightly declined, with just 13% of right-leaning respondents now backing it.

Critics online pointed out that many Americans may be aligning their views with party positions rather than evaluating policies independently. “Negative partisanship is a helluva drug,” wrote Financial Times data journalist John Burn-Murdoch on X.

However, Sean Westwood, director of the Polarization Research Lab, argued that liberal opinion may be driven by genuine concern. “This is not an irrational flip by liberals in response to conservatives—liberals are witnessing a stock market crash and an economic retraction. It could very well be reasoned,” he said.

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