An overwhelming majority of American voters say that retailers are exploiting President Donald Trump’s tariffs in the same way they took advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic to raise prices unnecessarily, according to a newly released Protecting America Initiative poll.

The survey, which was conducted among likely general election voters, found that 82% say retailers are using tariffs as an excuse to justify price hikes, while 84% say they believe retailers engaged in price gouging during the COVID-19 pandemic. Another 81% said that the unfair price manipulation they are experiencing is a result of digital price tags.

According to the poll, more than a majority support the president’s tariffs, but want state policymakers and officials to create and enforce strong price-gouging laws and hold retailers accountable for predatory price increases. An 83% majority of those surveyed said state lawmakers need to step up to stop retail price gouging because of the current gridlock on Capitol Hill.

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