Obama has 50 percent trust on economy

WASHINGTON, April 20 (UPI) -- A Gallup poll shows Americans have the most confidence in President Barack Obama to do or to recommend the right thing for the economy.

A nationwide poll of 1,016 adults ages 18 and older released Friday found 50 percent of respondents said they trust Obama to make good decisions for the economy. Just 42 percent said the same about Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney, Gallup's annual Economy and Personal Finance survey found.

Confidence in Obama hit a record high in 2009 at 71 percent.

Along party lines, 86 percent of Democrats said they have either a great deal or a fair amount of confidence in Obama in terms of the economy, while 17 percent of Republicans agreed. As for Romney, 69 percent of Republicans expressed confidence in him and 25 percent of Democrats did as well.

Confidence in Democratic and Republican leaders in Congress has declined since 2011; 44 percent to 39 percent and 66 percent to 38 percent, respectively.

The poll, conducted April 9-12, had a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.