Republican Economic Sentiment Crashes 15 Points — SkimNews
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- Republican consumer sentiment fell 15.1 points (97.1 to 82) on the University of Michigan index between February and August 2026—the steepest six-month drop in the index since Covid
- Democratic sentiment fell just 1.6 points (41.8 to 40.2) over the same period, an unusual partisan divergence last seen during the 2008–2009 global financial crisis
- The August reading of 82 is the lowest for Republicans during either of Trump's presidencies except December 2020, after he lost reelection
- Joanne Hsu, director of the Surveys of Consumers, told Axios Republicans 'were expecting very positive results' from tariffs but 'haven't seen a slowdown in inflation, let alone' the price cuts Trump promised
- A July Pew Research poll found 41% of Republicans and GOP-leaners rated the economy excellent or good—down 8 points from January—while Republicans saying Trump's policies worsened the economy rose from 18% to 28%
- White House spokesman Kush Desai countered that consumer spending and retail sales show 'resilient' Americans, crediting 'tax cuts and deregulation'
- Republicans still broadly expect gas prices to fall once the Iran war ends—a view Democrats don't share, per Hsu
Why it matters: Two months before midterms, the bedrock rule that a president's party stays upbeat about the economy has fractured: Republican confidence is now lower than at any point in Trump's two presidencies except after he'd already lost, raising the political cost of an inflation fight that has not delivered the price drops Republicans were promised.
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