President Donald Trump’s handling of the economy is causing him to lose favor with his own base.
The number of Republicans who approve of the Trump economy is on the decline, according to an AP-NORC poll conducted as the Iran war dragged on toward its third month and inflation rose to 3.8 percent.
The survey, conducted from May 14 to 18, found that 63 percent of Republicans approve of Trump’s handling of the economy, down from 78 percent at the start of his second term. Only 37 percent of Republicans disapproved.
The figures come as Republicans privately panic that Trump’s disapproval could bleed into the midterms.
The White House offered a characteristically sunnier picture when reached for comment on the new numbers.
“The American economy has been resilient under President Trump because his economic agenda has a proven track record – this same agenda of tax cuts, deregulation, and tariffs unleashed historic job, wage, and economic growth during the first Trump term,” White House spokesperson Kush Desai said.
“Americans can rest assured that as this agenda continues taking effect, and as Congress passes more of the President’s healthcare and housing affordability agenda, the best is yet to come in the second Trump term,” he added.
Overall, 67 percent of Americans are unhappy with Trump’s handling of the economy and only 33 percent approve.
The split hovered around the same figures when it came to approval of Trump’s job with the Iran war and foreign policy. On immigration, 54 percent of Americans disapproved, while 45 percent gave a thumbs up.
When it came to Trump’s overall performance as president, 62 percent disapproved and 37 percent approved.
It’s not hard to understand Americans’ dissatisfaction with the economy.
Last week, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that grocery prices are up 2.9 percent over the past year ending in April, placing an extra burden on Americans who are already paying 43 percent more for gas compared to a year ago.
Trump appeared to acknowledge that Americans are unhappy with the economy in his remarks at a White House event on Tuesday.
During a congressional picnic event, Trump delivered his usual spiel claiming that America is “thriving,” “winning,” and has become “the hottest country in the world.”
“We inherited high prices and we got the prices down, and we got them down to numbers that in some cases people have not seen before,” he said, before making a pivot.
“We have an economy—people aren’t seeing it yet.”
