Having started an unnecessary war in the Middle East while he and his GOP allies slash spending on programs such as health insurance and food assistance, Donald Trump can only watch as one economic report after another suggests the U.S. economy is in a jobless recession that shows no signs of easing.
Just how bad are things economically for American consumers? As CNN data analyst Harry Enten explained Sunday on the network, Trump now has the lowest economic approval rating of the 21st century.
“New numbers out from CBS News,” Enten noted on CNN Newsroom. “If I were in the White House, only one word to describe them: Yikes!”
“I mean, just take a look here,” he continued. “Trump will or is making you financially worse off or better off — if you go back to just before Trump was reelected to a second term, the plurality said better off at 44%. That number has fallen through the floor. Now we’re talking just 18%! Just 18% say Trump’s policies are making them better off.”
“Look at this, up like a rocket from 38% in October of 2024 — up there now to 53% of Americans saying Trump’s policies are making them worse off fiscally.”
“Among independents who, of course, ultimately usually decide the elections here in the United States of America, the numbers are even more troublesome for the White House,” Enten explained.
“Look at this! Three in five Americans who are Independents say that Trump is making them worse off financially, 60%. Now, just 13% of Independents say Trump is making them better off financially. That’s a 47-point margin in favor of “worse off” compared to a two-point margin in favor of “better off” just before Trump was reelected. That’s a nearly 50 point switcheroo.50-point”
“Now, ultimately, this puts Trump in company — historic company — You don’t want to be. He’s the leader of the pack or last in the pack when it comes to 21st century presidents and how Americans are viewing him on the economy, at least among Independents.”
“Look at this, 21st century presidents’ economic net approval ratings at this point in term two. Among Independents, Trump is 48 points underwater, just…one in four Independents say that they approve of the job that he is doing when it comes to the economy. His net approval rating on the economy among independents, twice as bad as Barack Obama’s was at this point — who was 25 points underwater — and double-digits worse than George W. Bush was among Independents, according to CBS News at this point, when it comes to the economy.”
Enten concluded, “Look at this! Three in five Americans who are Independents say that Trump is making them worse off financially, 60%. Now, just 13% of Independents say Trump is making them better off financially. That’s a 47-point margin in favor of “worse off” compared to a two-point margin in favor of ‘better off’ just before Trump was reelected. That’s a nearly 50-point switcheroo.”
The midterms are going to be an absolute bloodbath for the GOP. And they damn well should be.
