President Donald Trump has said he is “very proud” of the current state of the U.S. economy, although polling shows that the majority of the country feels otherwise on the issue.
Asked by NBC News whether the country is in the “Trump economy” yet, the president replied, “I’d say we’re there now.”
Trump’s remarks, which aired during a pre-Super Bowl interview, are notable because he is now taking ownership of the economy after repeatedly blaming former President Joe Biden for higher prices. That said, Trump still did cast blame on the prior administration.
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“They’re the ones that caused the problem,” he said of Democrats. “I took over a mess in every way.”
“The Democrats have gone to another subject. I think they’re probably saying, ‘Dictator!’ or something. They’ve got a new word. They don’t use the word ‘affordability’ anymore because prices are way down,” he continued, claiming responsibility for lower gas prices across the nation.
Trump’s confidence in the economy stands in contrast to how ordinary people feel about it.
In an NPR-Marist-PBS News poll released Thursday, the president’s handling of the economy received 36% approval compared to 59% disapproval. That is up from 57% disapproval last month. The latest negative rating on the economy is the highest it’s ever been in either of Trump’s two terms, the pollsters noted.
Affordability proved to be a key issue that determined the outcome of several state elections in November, including the gubernatorial races in Virginia and New Jersey. Democrats won both races. Since then, Trump has shifted his affordability messaging by launching a nationwide tour in defense of his administration’s economic policies.
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Trump notably touted his use of tariffs in a visit to Michigan, where he argued they help shrink the U.S trade deficit and boost domestic manufacturing. Again, his opinion on tariffs differs from the views held by most people.
The NPR-Marist-PBS News survey showed 56% of people saying that imposing tariffs on foreign countries hurts the U.S. economy and 31% saying tariffs help the economy.
