Trump is in denial about the oncoming recession, but his approval rating with voters on the economy has dropped 13 points in a year.
Trump has gone from (+13) to (+10) to a net (+3) on the economy:
4/The NBC News/WSJ poll released this weekend had Trump's approval on the economy at just +3, versus +10 in May and +16 in July 2018 (and similarly had him declining from -5 overall in May to -12 today). https://t.co/1ZJpneo86z
— NDN (@NDN_NPI) August 19, 2019
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Trump is now under 50% approval on the economy, and could easily find himself with a negative approval rating on his handling of the economy in the next few months.
The AP reported that the White House will be powerless to stop it when the recession arrives, “Trump advisers fear a weakened economy would hurt him with moderate Republican and independent voters who have been willing to give him a pass on some his incendiary policies and rhetoric. And White House economic advisers see few options for reversing course should the economy start to slip.”
The economy is Trump’s only argument for a second term. Any president who experiences a recession just before their reelection is probably toast, but Donald Trump has nothing else positive to run on. Trump has been arguing, inaccurately, for all of the credit on the economy. He and Republicans will take all of the blame if the economy plummets on his watch.
Voters see what Trump is in denial about. The economy is slowing. People are getting nervous, and Trump’s approval rating is eroding along with his chances of reelection.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
