If President Trump thought his return to the White House would serve as an automatic reset for the American economic psyche, he just got a rude awakening.
For months, the narrative from the West Wing has been one of immediate correction—a promise that the mere presence of the 47th President would stabilize markets and soothe consumer anxiety. But according to new analysis from CNN’s Harry Enten, the data isn’t just bad; it is screaming a warning that the administration can no longer ignore.
A Shock to the System
Enten put it best when staring down the barrel of the latest polling numbers: “My goodness gracious.”
That reaction wasn’t hyperbole. It was a genuine response to a shocking statistical slide that suggests the President’s economic honeymoon wasn’t just short—it might have been non-existent.
Breakdown by Harry Enten
The Numbers Don’t Lie
When Trump re-entered the Oval Office, the baseline was already shaky, with 43% of Americans feeling the economy was on the wrong track. But rather than improving under new leadership, that number has skyrocketed to 56%. Conversely, the number of Americans who believe we are on the “right track” has plummeted into the twenties (29%).
We are looking at a massive 27-point negative spread.
This is not a minor dip; it is a trend line “going in the complete wrong direction.” It suggests that the voting public is looking around and realizing that the election results didn’t magically lower the price of eggs or gas.
The Failure of “Spin”
The mandate for Trump’s return was crystal clear: solve the pricing crisis. He was elected as the fixer—the businessman who would crunch the numbers and ease the burden on the working class.
Instead, Enten argues, we are seeing a White House “trying to spin a narrative” that the American people simply aren’t buying. Inflation remains the “numero uno” driver of this pessimism, and no amount of press conference bluster can obscure the reality of the grocery checkout line.
The Reality Check
The hard truth for the President is that political charisma has diminishing returns against persistent inflation. You cannot talk your way out of a pricing crisis. As Enten predicts, “Until the American people think that inflation is under control, they will continue to have pessimistic feelings about the economy.”
The voters gave Trump a second chance to fix the ledger. But these numbers indicate that patience is wearing thin at record speed. Unless the administration stops focusing on the optics of the economy and starts delivering tangible relief to the wallet, this grim shift is likely just the beginning.
The voters are speaking loud and clear: They don’t want a narrative. They want results.
