Majority of Americans say Trump is doing a lousy job of handling the economy

Trump is in the minority of Americans who approves of the way he is handling the economy, according to an AP/NORC poll released Monday.

The majority of  Americans — 51% — disapprove of the way Trump is handling the economy, with only 47% approving his job performance in this area.

Even more Americans disapprove of his handling of issues like taxes and trade negotiations. On taxes, 55% reject Trump, while only 42% approve of his performance. When the poll drilled down more about the issue of taxes, evidence of the failing GOP tax scam emerged.

Trump and Republicans promised drastically lower taxes for families, so much so that Trump said the new law would be “rocket fuel” for the economy. Yet only 17% of Americans say their taxes went down last year, compared to 33% who said their taxes increased. (While corporations weren’t polled, several wealthy companies like Amazon paid no federal taxes last year.)

On the issue of his trade wars, Trump’s numbers got even worse: 59% disapprove of his trade negotiations while a paltry 39% approve. While disapproval by Democrats is not surprising, Trump’s approval on this issue has plummeted among his own party. In August 2018, 70% of Republicans said Trump’s tariffs would help the economy. Less than a year later, that number dropped to 50%.

Even Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell was forced to admit that the tariffs from Trump’s trade wars are nothing more than taxes paid by Americans across the country. Some studies show Trump’s trade wars could amount to a $72 billion tax hike, including higher prices for items like shoes and toys.

In addition to the pain all Americans are enduring, farmers are facing a skyrocketing number of bankruptcies.

Overall, the poll shows a mere 38% of Americans approve of Trump’s job performance, with 60% disapproving. Trump might like to brag all the time about the economy, but his boasts do not translate into approval from most Americans.

Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.