Trump & Co. are trying to sell us that the Economy is getting BETERR?
HTF would he know?
When was the last time he was in a supermarket bying groceries?
Prices and tariff/Import taxes probably ain’t helping things for us Americans…
Bad economies do NOT help the party residing over it….
And certainly NOT the President in Office at the time….
Why it matters: Everyone’s gotta eat. High food prices disproportionately impact working-class voters, the very people Trump promised lower grocery prices on the campaign trail a year ago.
- Just 1 in 5 respondents say it’s easier to afford groceries now than this time last year; nearly half say it’s harder, while 1 in 3 say it’s about the same.
The big picture: 8 in 10 Americans say they believe the president has “significant influence” over the U.S. economy, but just 47% say the Trump administration has had a positive impact on the economy this year.
What they’re saying: “The midterms might hinge on a ‘Cleanup on Aisle 4!’ ” said John Gerzema, CEO of The Harris Poll.
- “It’s such a visible signal that life is harder today than it was even last year when we were in an election cycle,” Gerzema said of grocery bills. Respondents “don’t feel like things are changing fast enough. This is going to be a significant issue for the president.”….
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- A second administration official denied that groceries were actually getting less affordable, telling Axios “the actual data belies this.”
Flashback: Grief at the checkout line was a significant driver of voters’ discontent with Democrats in last year’s presidential elections. Trump bashed then-Vice President Harris over grocery prices and promised he would lower prices “on Day One.”
- Bureau of Labor Statistics data show a different story — and this new survey reflects Americans’ own fears and experiences ahead of next year’s midterm elections.
- Overall inflation for food has been elevated but not particularly extreme, clocking in at 3.2% for the 12 months ended in August, per Labor Department data.
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By the numbers: Less than 1 in 3 say Trump’s tariffs have been good for the U.S. economy, U.S. businesses or personal finances; 63% worry about shortages of key goods they rely on due to tariffs.
- Less than half (47%) say 2025 has been a better year than 2024. Nearly two-thirds (65%) say they’re financially squeezed each month….
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What we’re watching: Independents’ survey responses often land somewhere between Republicans’ and Democrats’, but in this survey we see independents more closely aligned with Democrats — another warning sign for Trump and Republicans in Congress….