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Tag: Trump economy

  • Six polls that show Donald Trump is in deep economic trouble

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    A series of national polls show President Donald Trump facing sustained disapproval over his handling of the U.S. economy, with warning signs even emerging among core Republican voters. 

    From record-low approval ratings to cracks in his MAGA base, the numbers suggest that Trump’s economic brand is under strain heading into the 2026 midterms.

    The White House maintains that Trump “inherited the worst inflation crisis in a generation from Joe Biden’s incompetence” and points to how the administration “rapidly cooled inflation to a 2.5 percent annualized rate.”

    A spokesman previously told Newsweek: “Turning the Biden economic disaster around has informed nearly every action the Trump administration has taken since Day One.”

    Newsweek contacted the White House via email outside of regular business hours for further comment.  

    Why It Matters

    The findings highlight the erosion of public satisfaction in the handling of a key pillar of Trump’s political identity—economic stewardship—at a pivotal moment before the 2026 midterm elections. As inflation and the rising cost of living persist, the administration’s capacity to maintain party unity and voter confidence could shape both legislative battles in Congress and the broader fight for control over the House and Senate.

    What To Know

    Trump’s second-term calling card was supposed to be economic revival. Instead, a raft of recent polls suggests Americans are dissatisfied with his handling of the economy, inflation, and affordability. 

    1. AP-NORC: Worst Economic Approval Rating From First or Second Term

    An Associated Press-NORC poll conducted December 4—8, 2025 found that only 31 percent of Americans approve of Trump’s handling of the economy, down from 40 percent in March, marking the lowest economic approval rating measured of his first or second term with this particular pollster. 

    The poll, involving 1,146 adults and a four-point margin of error, reported a significant drop in support among Republicans: approval fell from 78 percent in March to 69 percent in December.

    The survey also revealed that two-thirds of Americans rated the economy as “poor,” a sentiment unchanged since Biden’s final year in office.

    It also showed that financial strain is forcing nearly half (48 percent) of Americans to cut back on nonessential holiday spending, with 87 percent saying grocery prices are higher than usual. Lower-income households are especially hard hit, with increased numbers delaying major purchases or cutting back on essentials.

    2. Fox News: Trump Rated Worse Than Biden on Economy

    Separate polling from Fox News, conducted November 14-17 among 1,005 registered voters, found that 76 percent rate the U.S. economy negatively under Trump, up from 70 percent at the end of the Biden administration. 

    Voters blamed Trump for the economic situation at a two-to-one ratio over Biden (62 percent versus 32 percent).

    3. NBC News: MAGA Base Shows Cracks

    An NBC News Decision Desk poll, conducted by SurveyMonkey with a margin of error of plus or minus 1.9 percentage points, shows Trump’s overall approval at 42 percent, with 58 percent disapproval. 

    While 70 percent of MAGA Republicans still strongly approve, that’s an eight-point drop since April. 

    Economic concerns dominate in the poll, which surveyed 20,252 adults online from November 20 to December 8, with respondents citing inflation and cost-of-living pressures as top worries, despite Trump’s insistence that affordability is a “hoax.”

    4. Reuters/Ipsos: Affordability Still Hurts

    An online Reuters/Ipsos poll of 4,434 nationwide respondents, with a margin of error of two percentage points in either direction, shows Trump’s overall approval at 41 percent, up slightly from November.

    But his rating on cost-of-living issues remains weak at 31 percent, despite climbing from the previous month of 26 percent. 

    The poll, conducted between December 3 and 8, highlights that affordability is the dominant concern for voters, even as Trump touts tariff rollbacks and tax cuts.

    5. The Economist/YouGov: Net Negative on Economy

    The Economist’s tracker places Trump’s net approval at -16 percent, with Americans “especially dissatisfied” on inflation and economic management. 

    Ratings that were briefly positive after his inauguration have collapsed into strongly negative territory following tariff hikes and affordability woes.

    Inflation/prices (23 percent), and jobs and the economy (15 percent) were also rated as voters’ top concerns, signaling how important it is for Trump to score well on these issues. 

    6. Harvard CAPS/Harris: Inflation Tops Voter Concerns

    While this poll, which was conducted online within the United States on December 2-4, 2025, among 2,204 registered voters, shows Trump’s overall approval rebounding to 47 percent post-shutdown, his weakest issue remains inflation, where he scores just 40 percent approval. 

    A majority of voters (59 percent) say affordability is their top economic worry, suggesting that even perceived gains aren’t translating into confidence.

    What People Are Saying

    White House spokesman Kush Desai told Newsweek last week: “President Trump and every member of his Administration are clear-eyed about the fact that Americans continue to reel from the lingering effects of Joe Biden’s generational economic crisis. 

    “Turning the Biden economic disaster around has informed nearly every action the Trump administration has taken since Day One, from unleashing American energy to cut gas prices to signing historic drug pricing deals to cut costs for American patients. 

    “Much work remains, and every member of the Trump administration continues to focus on recreating the historic job, wage, and economic growth that Americans enjoyed during President Trump’s first term.”

    Desai also previously told Newsweek: “President Trump inherited the worst inflation crisis in a generation from Joe Biden’s incompetence, and his Administration has rapidly cooled inflation to a 2.5 percent annualized rate. Americans can count on inflation continuing to fall and real wages continuing to rise.” 

    Trump said in a Truth Social post: “When will I get credit for having created, with No Inflation, perhaps the Greatest Economy in the History of our Country?…When will Polls reflect the Greatness of America at this point in time, and how bad it was just one year ago?”

    Larry Reynolds, a 74-year-old Republican retiree from Wadsworth, Ohio, said: “I still back Trump’s approach in principle but believe the president’s escalating tariffs have become self-defeating…I don’t think it’ll be anything really soon. I think it’s just going to take time.”

    Democratic National Committee Rapid Response Director Kendall Witmer, said in a statement to Newsweek: “Donald Trump’s train wreck of an economy is catching up to him, and it’s no wonder voters are pissed. Trump promised to ‘lower costs on Day One,’ but prices are soaring, and good-paying jobs are out of reach for everyday Americans. Trump’s plan of action so far has been to call affordability a ‘hoax’ and tell Americans not to ‘be dramatic.’ Meanwhile, working families are skipping meals, forgoing critical medical care, and depleting their savings as Trump doubles down on his disastrous economic policies. While Trump twiddles his thumbs, Democrats are working tirelessly to bring down prices and lower the cost-of-living.”

    What Happens Next

    Expanding discontent over the economy poses risks for Republican prospects in the 2026 midterms, opening opportunities for primary challenges and Democratic gains in key swing districts. 

    The White House has launched a national tour seeking to shore up public confidence, while also deploying new policy measures and messaging that target ongoing inflation and the cost of living.

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  • Kitchen cabinet companies hope new US tariffs pay off in the long run

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    By MAE ANDERSON, AP Business Writer

    NEW YORK (AP) — Cabinet dealers, interior designers and remodeling contractors in the U.S. hope new tariffs on imported kitchen cabinets, bathroom vanities and upholstered wooden furniture that kicked in Tuesday will create more business for them and eventually boost domestic production of those products.

    But several small business owners in the home improvement industry say they expect some short-term pains from the import taxes: Clients with projects already on the books might balk at having to pay more for the budget-priced cabinets they selected. Potential customers may postpone kitchen and bathroom renovations until costs — and the economy — seem more stable.

    “I think the volatility around pricing is damaging to the remodeling industry,” said Allison Harlow, an interior designer in Michigan whose company, Curio Design Studio, creates and builds custom bathrooms and kitchens. “Most people will hear the headline of ‘Kitchen cabinets will go up 50%’ and might just opt out of even reaching out to our company.”

    Despite high mortgage rates having depressed sales of existing homes in recent years, a forecast of remodeling activity by Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies predicts that homeowner spending on improvements and maintenance will remain steady into the middle of 2026.

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Josh Qian, co-founder of Linq Kitchen, a designer and maker of kitchen cabinets, shows kitchens made in Vietnam at a show room in City of Industry, Calif., Friday, Oct. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

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Trump calls cheap imports a national security threat

A proclamation that President Donald Trump signed on Sept. 29 cited national security and foreign trade practices as grounds for imposing the tariffs on certain finished wood products and product components.

Of them, imported vanities and kitchen cabinets incurred the steepest tax rates: 25% until the end of the year and 50% starting on New Year’s Day.

Upholstered chairs, seats and sofas also are subject to a 25% worldwide tariff effective Tuesday, with the rate scheduled to increase to 30% on Jan. 1. In addition, the presidential proclamation put a 10% import tax on softwood timber and lumber, which comes from evergreen trees like pine and cedars.

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  • Futures: Trump Says ‘Don’t Worry’ After 100% China Tariff

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    Dow Jones futures will open Sunday evening, along with futures for the S&P 500 and Nasdaq, as investors react to a flurry of U.S.- China news. Late Friday President Donald Trump moved to impose an extra 100% tariff on China, but on Sunday that “it will all be fine.” The stock market sold off Friday as Trump threatened tariffs over…

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  • Get the Facts: Analyzing claims made about Trump and Biden’s responses to the COVID-19 pandemic

    Get the Facts: Analyzing claims made about Trump and Biden’s responses to the COVID-19 pandemic

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    The DNC kicked off Monday with a series of speakers and videos talking about former President Donald Trump’s response to COVID-19 while he was in office, and the subsequent response from President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris after they took over the administration in 2021. Get the facts on the claims of the speakers and video below. Speech by Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan Claim: “Our country was brought to the brink by failure to respond, but the Biden-Harris administration stepped in with quick and decisive action.”Get the Facts: COVID-19 brought the world to the brink, not just the United States. Trump was criticized for downplaying the virus initially and for inconsistent messaging, and the Biden-Harris administration did implement a more aggressive federal response. The use of “quick and decisive” is subjective, as some critics argue that certain actions, such as vaccine distribution, faced challenges.Rating: Needs ContextClaim: “They (the Biden/Harris administration) contained the virus, created millions of jobs, and invested in our nation’s future.”Get the Facts: The Biden administration’s actions helped reduce COVID-19 cases through vaccination efforts and created millions of jobs, especially as the economy rebounded from the pandemic-induced recession. It should be noted that containing the virus has been an ongoing challenge due to variants.Rating: Needs Context Speech by Illinois Congresswoman Lauren UnderwoodClaim: “Under the Biden-Harris administration, the number of uninsured Americans hit an all-time low.”Get the Facts: As of early 2022, the uninsured rate did hit a record low. That is largely due to expanded subsidies for Affordable Care Act plans under the American Rescue Plan.Rating: TrueSpeech by Rich Logis, a voter who formerly voted for Donald Trump Claim: “When the pandemic hit. We needed leadership but we were given almost nothing.”Get the Facts: The Trump administration implemented some measures, such as the CARES Act and Operation Warp Speed. Some of these actions helped flatten the curve in the United States. And Congress and the Trump administration did pass a few rounds of stimulus. However, the response was criticized for being delayed and insufficient in early stages.Rating: Needs ContextSpeech by California U.S. Rep. Robert GarciaClaim: “While schools closed and dead bodies filled morgues, Donald Trump downplayed the virus.”Get the Facts: Trump did downplay the virus early on. He compared it to the flu and suggested it would go away on its own.Rating: TrueClaim: “He told us to inject bleach into our bodies.” Garcia also claimed, “They got people vaccinated, they got the virus under control, they safely reopened our schools, and they passed the American Rescue Plan.”Get the Facts: Trump suggested exploring the use of disinfectants internally during an April 2020 press briefing. Later, he claimed he was being sarcastic.As far as Garcia’s second claim, yes, the Biden administration did push for mass vaccinations, which helped, but even though the virus was significantly reduced, there have been new variants that have continued to pose challenges. Schools were reopened, eventually. The American Rescue Plan was passed in March 2021.Rating: Needs contextVideo with representative from the Harris/Walz campaign headquarters (“Two Lies and a Lie” game)Claim: In a video, a speaker, identified as Ryan, says, “Trump lost 3 million jobs. In fact, he’s the first president to lose jobs since Herbert Hoover.”Get the Facts: This is accurate. The U.S. economy shed approximately 3 million jobs during Trump’s term, largely due to the COVID-19 pandemic, making him the first president since Herbert Hoover (during the Great Depression) to see a net loss in jobs.Rating: Needs contextClaim: The speaker in the video then says that “Trump claims his administration ‘created more jobs than we ever had before.’”Get the Facts: This claim by Trump is misleading. While job growth was strong in the first three years of his presidency, the pandemic wiped out those gains. The net job loss over his four years contradicts this claim.Rating: MisleadingClaim: The speaker in the video says the “Trump said we had the ‘greatest economy ever, and then we got hit with COVID.’”Get the Facts: Trump frequently claimed that the economy was the best in U.S. history before COVID-19. While the economy was strong, with low unemployment and a rising stock market, economists debate whether it was the “greatest ever.” COVID-19 caused a massive downturn.Rating: MisleadingClaim: The speaker in the video says, “Trump talked a big game, but actually lost 178,000 manufacturing jobs.”Get the Facts: Manufacturing declined under Trump, especially during the pandemic. That reversed some of the earlier gains in job figures.Rating: Needs context

    The DNC kicked off Monday with a series of speakers and videos talking about former President Donald Trump’s response to COVID-19 while he was in office, and the subsequent response from President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris after they took over the administration in 2021.

    Get the facts on the claims of the speakers and video below.

    Speech by Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan

    Claim: “Our country was brought to the brink by [Trump’s] failure to respond, but the Biden-Harris administration stepped in with quick and decisive action.”

    Get the Facts: COVID-19 brought the world to the brink, not just the United States. Trump was criticized for downplaying the virus initially and for inconsistent messaging, and the Biden-Harris administration did implement a more aggressive federal response. The use of “quick and decisive” is subjective, as some critics argue that certain actions, such as vaccine distribution, faced challenges.

    Rating: Needs Context


    Claim: “They (the Biden/Harris administration) contained the virus, created millions of jobs, and invested in our nation’s future.”

    Get the Facts: The Biden administration’s actions helped reduce COVID-19 cases through vaccination efforts and created millions of jobs, especially as the economy rebounded from the pandemic-induced recession. It should be noted that containing the virus has been an ongoing challenge due to variants.

    Rating: Needs Context

    Needs context infographic

      Speech by Illinois Congresswoman Lauren Underwood

      Claim: “Under the Biden-Harris administration, the number of uninsured Americans hit an all-time low.”

      Get the Facts: As of early 2022, the uninsured rate did hit a record low. That is largely due to expanded subsidies for Affordable Care Act plans under the American Rescue Plan.

      Rating: True

      True inforgraphic

      Speech by Rich Logis, a voter who formerly voted for Donald Trump

      Claim: “When the pandemic hit. We needed leadership but we were given almost nothing.”

      Get the Facts: The Trump administration implemented some measures, such as the CARES Act and Operation Warp Speed. Some of these actions helped flatten the curve in the United States. And Congress and the Trump administration did pass a few rounds of stimulus. However, the response was criticized for being delayed and insufficient in early stages.

      Rating: Needs Context

      needs context infographic

      Speech by California U.S. Rep. Robert Garcia

      Claim: “While schools closed and dead bodies filled morgues, Donald Trump downplayed the virus.”

      Get the Facts: Trump did downplay the virus early on. He compared it to the flu and suggested it would go away on its own.

      Rating: True

      true infographic

        Claim: “He [Trump] told us to inject bleach into our bodies.” Garcia also claimed, “They got people vaccinated, they got the virus under control, they safely reopened our schools, and they passed the American Rescue Plan.”

        Get the Facts: Trump suggested exploring the use of disinfectants internally during an April 2020 press briefing. Later, he claimed he was being sarcastic.

          As far as Garcia’s second claim, yes, the Biden administration did push for mass vaccinations, which helped, but even though the virus was significantly reduced, there have been new variants that have continued to pose challenges. Schools were reopened, eventually. The American Rescue Plan was passed in March 2021.

          Rating: Needs context

          needs context infographic


          Video with representative from the Harris/Walz campaign headquarters (“Two Lies and a Lie” game)

          Claim: In a video, a speaker, identified as Ryan, says, “Trump lost 3 million jobs. In fact, he’s the first president to lose jobs since Herbert Hoover.”

          Get the Facts: This is accurate. The U.S. economy shed approximately 3 million jobs during Trump’s term, largely due to the COVID-19 pandemic, making him the first president since Herbert Hoover (during the Great Depression) to see a net loss in jobs.

          Rating: Needs context

          needs context infographic


            Claim: The speaker in the video then says that “Trump claims his administration ‘created more jobs than we ever had before.’”

            Get the Facts: This claim by Trump is misleading. While job growth was strong in the first three years of his presidency, the pandemic wiped out those gains. The net job loss over his four years contradicts this claim.

            Rating: Misleading

            misleading infographic


            Claim: The speaker in the video says the “Trump said we had the ‘greatest economy ever, and then we got hit with COVID.’”

            Get the Facts: Trump frequently claimed that the economy was the best in U.S. history before COVID-19. While the economy was strong, with low unemployment and a rising stock market, economists debate whether it was the “greatest ever.” COVID-19 caused a massive downturn.

            Rating: Misleading

            misleading infographic

              Claim: The speaker in the video says, “Trump talked a big game, but actually lost 178,000 manufacturing jobs.”

              Get the Facts: Manufacturing declined under Trump, especially during the pandemic. That reversed some of the earlier gains in job figures.

              Rating: Needs context

              needs context infographic

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