Economic Woes: Americans Grow Unhappy with Trump's Handling

Americans are feeling the pinch in their wallets, and they're not happy about it. A recent poll shows that a whopping 70% of Americans think the cost of living is too high, with nearly half of Republicans and a staggering three-quarters of independents feeling the same way. This is a big drop from just a few months ago, when 25% more people thought they could afford their lives. The economy has been a hot topic for a while now, and it's not just Trump who's feeling the heat. His predecessor, Joe Biden, also faced public frustration when inflation started to rise. Trump used this dissatisfaction to his advantage during the 2024 presidential election, but now, those same feelings might be causing trouble for Republicans in the upcoming midterm elections. When it comes to the economy, more registered voters think Democrats would do a better job than Republicans. This is a big change from last year, when Republicans had a 15-point advantage on the economy with voters overall and a 23-point advantage with independents. Trump has been acknowledging issues of affordability and promising to bring prices under control. However, he has also dismissed concerns as a "con job" perpetuated by Democrats. Some Republicans in Congress have publicly disagreed with the president's claims, with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene pointing to record credit card debt as a factor in the unstable economy. Americans are feeling the economic pressure firsthand, and Trump's continued denials about how Americans are feeling about the cost of living "creates even a bigger issue" for him and could risk turning gentle wind "into a hurricane. "The worries about the economy have bubbled up even among people like Roger Chester, an Illinois independent who voted for the president last year. Chester said Trump's governing philosophy is best described as shifting winds. "He's not conservative. He's not liberal. He is none of the above, " Chester said. "He literally blows with the wind to what his base wants and that is it. Which is fine. That’s all I want my politicians to do. " Chester said he's had a "love-hate" relationship with Trump since the president first ran for office a decade ago. He now says the president is a "populist puppet. " While Chester said prices of goods are "horrendous" and "unbearable, " he doesn’t solely blame Trump. For millions of others, the cost of health care remains a serious concern as enhanced subsidies for the Affordable Care Act are all but certain to expire at the end of the year. Average monthly premiums are likely to double on average, and millions of Americans are expected to drop coverage altogether. More than half of Americans are concerned that they will be unable to pay for needed health care services next year. The poll also found that 39% say the economy is working well for them personally. 21% say their family finances have improved in the last year; 35% say they’ve gotten worse; and 44% say things have mostly stayed the same. 33% expect their financial finances to improve next year – down 15 percentage points since June. Another 29% believe things will get worse, and 39% expect their situation to stay the same. For many Americans, the cumulative effect of all the swirling economic pressures can be almost too hard to manage. Sherry Kamphaus, the Illinois Republican, has been married for 41 years and now stays home full time to care for her disabled husband. She said they pay all their bills, stick close to their budget and try to live within their means. Every month is still a challenge. "There’s a difference between living and surviving, " Kamphaus said. "We’re surviving. "