In the face of a wave of media reports that people are unhappy with their lives and see the nation failing amid the coronavirus crisis and Black Lives Matter movement, there is a new survey that is giving the White House confidence that a strong economic message can help President Trump’s reelection bid.
It comes from Gallup and shows that people in the United States are upbeat about their personal finances and “more optimistic about the direction of their finances.”
While Trump foes and the media have played up the gloomy surveys, the latest Gallup poll shows that American optimism in personal finances is just three points shy of the all-time record and significantly higher than it was under former President Obama.
The numbers:
- Fifty-three percent call their personal finances “excellent” or “good,” compared with 49% in April.
- The Gallup high was 56% last year. Under Obama, it never hit higher than 48%.
- By 41% to 37%, people said their situations were getting better rather than worse.
- Sixty-one percent of Republicans said their finances are getting better, up from 47% in May.
- Twenty-seven percent of Democrats said their financial situation is improving, compared with 28% who said the same in April.
The survey should give a boost to the administration’s effort to continue urging states to open up after the coronavirus shutdown and the Trump-Pence campaign’s bid to brag on the economy as it battles the Biden campaign.
Gallup suggested that the quick turnaround in attitudes may be due to the growth in jobs since the height of the virus crisis, though it said the survey was done before the recent jobs report showing a growth spurt.
“Americans may feel the worst is over,” said Gallup.
