The U.S. Economy Gets an A+++++? NOBODY Thinks That (Only Delusional Republicans)

Yesterday, President Trump told Politico he gives the nation’s economy an “A-plus-plus-plus-plus-plus.” That’s just another out-of-touch take from a billionaire president who has enacted a Republican agenda hellbent on raising costs, gutting health care, and draining hardworking families’ wallets.

The reality that Americans face everyday is starkly different, and families across the country are struggling to make ends meet. Economic confidence has hit a new low, and voters — including Trump’s base — disagree with the sentiment that the economy is doing well and blame Republicans for it. Only 36% of Americans approve of how Trump and his Republican administration are handling the economy, and 46% say the cost of living in the U.S. “is the worst I can ever remember it being.”

DCCC Spokesperson Bridget Gonzalez:
“American families are struggling to put food on the table and keep their lights on. Meanwhile, the President is saying the economy gets ‘A-plus-plus-plus-plus-plus.’ What a joke.”

Let’s look at the headlines to see what Americans are actually experiencing:

• Reality check: Trump has frequently claimed prices are trending lower, but prices for many goods and services have risen since he returned to the White House.
• The Consumer Price Index and the core measure that strips out food and energy costs rose 3% in the 12 months through September, the latest data available due to a lapse in reporting amid the government shutdown.

• Prices have continued to rise since Trump took office in January, and weaknesses within the labor market have weighed on Americans’ perceptions of the economy this year. As several polls and surveys of consumer confidence reveal, the public’s view of contemporary economic conditions contrasts sharply with Trump’s laudatory assessment, and some believe his strategy of denying affordability concerns could hurt the GOP’s chances in next year’s elections.

• A majority of Americans say they are spending more on groceries and utilities than they were a year ago, and they blame President Trump for the rising prices, a Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll finds.
• About 7 in 10 Americans say their grocery costs have risen in the past year, while about 6 in 10 say their utility costs have edged higher, according to the poll, conducted in late October. Roughly 4 in 10 say the same about health care, gas and housing. The findings reflect angst about the cost of living, which has emerged as a key issue in the off-year elections across the country on Tuesday.

• A majority of Americans who said grocery prices are hard to afford blamed the Trump administration for putting them in that situation, according to a new poll.
• The same poll found that nearly half of Americans, 46 percent, said the cost of living in the U.S. “is the worst I can ever remember it being,” including 37 percent of voters who backed Trump in the 2024 presidential election.
• The survey comes amid a renewed focus on affordability. It was conducted shortly after last month’s elections, when Democrats outperformed with campaigns focused on cost-of-living concerns.

• The share of Americans reporting trouble affording food is rising this year amid persistently high grocery costs, according to a recent report from Purdue University.
• Roughly 14% of U.S. households reported food insecurity on average between January and October, up from 12.5% in 2024, according to the latest data from Purdue’s Center for Food Demand Analysis and Sustainability.

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