Americans Reject Trump's Description of the Economy as Thriving: "We Are Suffering from the Cost of Living"

U.S. President Donald Trump stated in his State of the Union address that the American economy is experiencing "unprecedented prosperity" and that he has controlled inflation. However, a recent Reuters/Ipsos poll shows that 68% of Americans, including a large number of Republicans, do not agree with this assessment.

The poll, which included 4,638 participants, revealed a clear divide among Republicans themselves, with 56% considering the economy to be thriving compared to 43% who opposed this view, representing an important indicator ahead of the midterm elections for the House and Senate in November.

Cost of Living Tops Public Concern

In Dickson, Tennessee, Marcus Tribe, a Republican supporter, expressed his frustration with Trump's focus on immigration rather than the economy, saying: "Even with two income sources in our household, we are struggling financially. I am more concerned about rising rent and everything else than I am about immigration."
The poll results showed that Americans believe that rising living costs, not inflation, is the most impactful issue on their daily lives, and they feel that Trump's efforts to reduce inflation have not been felt in reality.

Limited Awareness of Economic Policies

The poll indicated that about 44% of participants had not heard of the White House plan to limit large investors from purchasing residential units, and 48% were unaware of Trump's proposal to cap credit card interest rates at 10%.
In contrast, citizens were more informed about the tariff policy, with 78% reporting that they had heard of it, and 54% expecting these tariffs to increase the cost of living, including 69% of Democrats and 42% of Republicans.

Independent Opinions and Waiting for Elections

Tiffany Ritchie from Texas, who previously voted for Trump, said she believes the president's current economic policies "may not succeed," considering Trump's description of the economy as thriving to be an insult to the reality that citizens are experiencing.
Some economists expect a slight recovery this year, but few anticipate an economic boom, making the upcoming elections in November a critical juncture for assessing public satisfaction with current economic policies.