WASHINGTON – President Trump’s promise to rapidly drive down prices and restore affordability to American households is facing increasing scrutiny as many voters report little economic relief, despite his claims of success.
Voters question Economic Promises
Many who backed Trump in 2024 are losing faith as grocery and energy costs remain stubbornly high.
- While gasoline and egg prices have decreased, most other costs, including groceries and electricity, continue to rise.
- The president’s job approval has declined from 52% to 43% since Inauguration Day, with economic approval dropping to 39%.
- Republican strategists say Trump overpromised on economic improvements and is now struggling to deliver.
“Starting the day I take the oath of office, I will rapidly drive prices down, and we will make America affordable again,” Trump said in 2024.”Your prices are going to come tumbling down, your gasoline is going to come tumbling down, and your heating bills and cooling bills are going to be coming down.” But the reality for many Americans doesn’t match that optimistic vision.
The Labor Department estimated Thursday that inflation is running at 2.7%, a slight improvement over the 3% inherited from the previous management, but still a burden for families. Electricity costs,in particular,have risen sharply,increasing by 6.9%.
“I voted for Trump in 2024 as he was promising america first … and he was promising a better economy,” said Ebyad, a nurse in Texas, during a podcast discussion. “It feels like all those promises have been broken.”
Is President Trump failing to deliver on his economic promises? Since taking office, the president’s job approval rating has fallen from 52% to 43%, according to a polling average calculated by statistician Nate Silver. Approval of his handling of the economy, once a strong point, has dropped even further to 39%.
Republican pollsters and strategists beleive the core issue is a gap between expectation and reality.”The most important reasons he won in 2024 were his promises to bring inflation down and juice the economy,” said Republican pollster Whit Ayres. “That’s the reason he won so many voters who traditionally had supported Democrats, including Hispanics. … But he hasn’t been able to deliver. Inflation has moderated, but it hasn’t gone backward.”
Last week, after dismissing concerns about affordability as “a Democrat hoax,” Trump launched a campaign to reassure voters he’s addressing the problem. However, at a rally in Pennsylvania, he continued to assert the economy is already strong.
“Our prices are coming down tremendously,” he insisted. “Your doing better than you’ve ever done,” he added, seemingly dismissing voters’ anxieties.
He even suggested families could cope with high costs by reducing spending: “You know, you