New polling reveals that the cost of living remains the paramount concern for American citizens, directly contradicting former President Donald Trump’s repeated assertions that the nation is experiencing unprecedented prosperity. A recent survey conducted by SSRS for CNN found that nearly a third of respondents identified economic or affordability issues as the single most critical area for the president to address. This sentiment underscores a significant disconnect between public perception of economic realities and Trump’s optimistic rhetoric.
The CNN poll highlighted that 32 percent of all respondents prioritized economic and cost of living concerns when asked what they would tell the president to focus on to improve their lives. This figure notably escalated among Republican voters and Republican-leaning independents, reaching approximately 40 percent. The data suggests that anxieties over financial pressures transcend traditional political divides, impacting a substantial portion of the electorate, including those within Trump’s base.
In stark contrast to the dominant economic concerns, other frequently discussed national issues registered significantly lower levels of public priority. Only five percent of all respondents cited immigration and border enforcement as their top issue, while a mere one percent focused on crime and public safety. These comparative figures underscore the overwhelming salience of personal financial well-being over other political debates, positioning affordability as a defining electoral battleground.
Despite the widespread public concern, Donald Trump has consistently maintained a highly positive outlook on the nation’s economic state. Through speeches and posts on his Truth Social platform, he has emphatically declared that America is in a “golden age” and performing better than ever before. Last month, he stated that his “great work on the Economy has not yet been fully appreciated,” adding in December that “the word affordability is a Democrat scam,” dismissing the issue as a partisan construct.
However, the available evidence indicates that public appreciation for Trump’s economic claims remains limited. Respondents in the CNN poll articulated numerous specific financial anxieties, including calls to “help [the] middle class,” concerns over “health care costs,” the need to “protect social security,” and rising “housing costs” and “food prices.” Collectively, these specific concerns accounted for the 32 percent of respondents who prioritized economic issues, demonstrating a detailed awareness of financial burdens.
The public’s economic anxieties are further supported by recent consumer confidence metrics. The Conference Board, a prominent business research nonprofit, reported a fifth consecutive monthly decrease in U.S. consumer confidence in December. Its index dropped from 92.9 in October to 89.1 in November, with respondents’ assessment of current business conditions turning negative for the first time since September. This downward trend in confidence aligns with the polling data indicating widespread economic unease among Americans.
While the Conference Board showed a decline, another survey from the University of Michigan presented a slightly different picture, indicating a mild improvement in consumer mood in December compared to October. Amid these mixed signals, former MAGA loyalist turned Trump critic Marjorie Taylor Greene highlighted healthcare costs as a significant driver of increased consumer spending. She warned that Republican failure to address healthcare would carry substantial electoral consequences, stating, “Republicans can’t blame Democrats when they do nothing to fix it.”
The depth of public skepticism extends beyond economic policy to the perceived empathy of political leaders. The CNN poll revealed that 51 percent of respondents believed Donald Trump cared “not at all” about what they had to say. A substantial 38 percent expressed a similar lack of confidence in Democratic leaders, suggesting a broader disillusionment with the political establishment’s attentiveness to their concerns. This sentiment poses a significant challenge for both parties ahead of upcoming elections.
