Backlash grows against Trump as his ratings on economy plummet to historic lows

With federal data expected to show rising inflation, President Donald Trump is facing backlash on his handling of the economy as the job market weakens and American exporters suffer from his trade agenda, according to The Hill.

Data set to be released Friday is expected to show annual inflation hitting 3 percent for the first time since President Joe Biden's administration — a full percentage point higher than the Federal Reserve’s target, The Hill says.

Economists are also projecting the consumer price index (CPI) report to show higher inflation in September "largely due to climbing energy and food prices — two of the hardest areas for Americans to cut costs," they explain.

Prices have risen steadily since the second half of the year due to Trump's tariffs, despite the president's denial. Businesses are also hiring far fewer workers than in recent years, pushing the unemployment rate higher, with millions of Americans suffering financially, The Hill says.

"The combination has brought Trump’s ratings on the economy down to historic lows, according to a new poll," they write.

U.S. job growth has slowed from an average of 150,000 per month at the start of 2025 to just 25,000 by August, according to analysis from Elsie Peng, research economist at Goldman Sachs.

According to a Quinnipiac University poll released Wednesday, only 38 percent of voters approve of Trump’s handling of the economy, "the lowest level he’s received since February 2017," The Hill notes.

Fifty-seven percent of voters said they disapprove of Trump’s handling of the economy.

“With a nearly 20-point gap between approval and disapproval on President Trump’s handling of the economy, it’s a low watermark for a president who promised a vibrant and muscular economy,” says Quinnipiac University polling analyst Tim Malloy.

The government shutdown, for which a majority of Americans blame Trump and the Republicans, has yet to fully impact these numbers, The Hill explains.

“The economic impact of the government shutdown and its disruption to data collection has not yet been fully felt,” writes Stephen Kates, financial analyst at Bankrate, in a Tuesday analysis.

“Federal layoffs or the absence of backpay would drag down spending and worsen labor conditions, especially in the local areas most affected,” he continues. “The longer the shutdown continues, the larger our blind spot will be.”