Six out of 10 Americans fault president for financial struggles and eight out of 10 worry about tariffs’ impact

Americans are struggling financially, grappling with debt and the rising cost of living, and are blaming the Trump administration and corporate interests for worsening economic outlooks for working families, according to a new poll.

Six out of 10 Americans place blame on the Trump administration for driving up their cost of living, according to a poll conducted by Morning Consult for the Century Foundation, which asked 2,007 Americans how they are managing the high cost of living in the US economy, who they think is to blame and what are the solutions.

Sixty three per cent said Trump had had a negative impact on grocery prices, and 61% said he had had a negative impact on the cost of living. Nearly half, 49%, said the Trump administration had had a negative impact on their finances. Nearly eight out of 10 Americans, including 70% of Republicans, fear that Trump’s tariffs will increase the price of everyday goods.

  • Zephorah@discuss.online
    42·
    1 day ago

    Yes.

    The 1950s created the middle class and boomed with prosperity for working class because of government subsidies to the working class. Never before had this occurred in America. Always, prior, it was the industry/corporate class who were supported, and, drum roll, tariffs.

    Then, Reagan flipped the script in the 80s, saying greater efficiency in that prosperity could only happen if we subsidized the corporate/industry class again. And this trickle down economics was born. And never rolled back by DEMs.

    This legacy of corporate subsidy began to squeeze hard -2015, theb exponentially in 2020 and beyond.

    This was not felt much in the 90s. It’s important to realize the lack of immediacy to any of this on the timeline. Including the Trump fallout. He’ll likely be dead of his medical issues and old age before his damage really hits.

    To be fair, the Biden admin did start to roll back a bit of Reagan but 4yrs is never enough time.

    All the good with the FCC, for example, including making internet a necessary utility, like electricity, was wiped, with Trump. Consumer protections roll up, rolled back, with Trump. Attempts to undo trumps education secretary damage in the first term, fouled by Congress, and rolled back entirely by trump. Oh. And tariffs are back. So taxes on everyone at the grocery store and beyond. We can’t even get free shipping on cheap items any more, he removed that too.

    What’s great is full fruition of his damage will still move slowly such that it will only really be felt in full after 4-6yrs.

    The fact that billionaires even exist now shows how absolutely wrong Reagan was with trickle down.

    A middle class cannot exist organically in capitalism. Capitalism needs to be tempered by regulation and subsidies to working class or we end up here.