U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at a Hanukkah reception in the East Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., December 16, 2025. REUTERS/Nathan Howard
U.S. President Donald Trump aggressively defended his economic record during his address to the nation on Wednesday night, December 17. Trump's overtly partisan speech often sounded like a MAGA rally, with the president repeatedly claiming — falsely — that he inherited a broken economy from Democratic former President Joe Biden.
But in fact, the United States enjoyed record-low unemployment levels during Biden's presidency — including 3.7 percent in November 2022, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). And many polls are showing widespread dissatisfaction with Trump on the economy.
One of them is a poll conducted by conservative network Fox News from December 12-15.
The poll found that while Trump's overall approval is 44 percent, only 39 percent of respondents approve of his handling of the economy. And a mere 28 percent described economic conditions in the U.S. as either excellent or good.
Newsweek's Mandy Taheri notes that inflation remains a daunting problem for Trump.
"On Thursday," Taheri reports, "the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released the delayed Consumer Price Index (CPI) for November, revealing that the 12-month rate of inflation stood at 2.7 percent. Core inflation — excluding the volatile food and energy categories — also slowed to 2.6 percent from three percent in September, reaching its lowest rate since March 2021."
The Fox News poll, Taheri points out, isn't the only one showing that Trump is underwater on the economy.
"Other polls, such as an Associated Press-NORC poll, have found unfavorable ratings for Trump," Taheri explains. "Conducted between December 4 and 8, the AP-NORC poll found that only 31 percent of Americans approve of Trump's handling of the economy, down from 40 percent in March, marking the lowest economic approval rating measured of his first or second term with this particular pollster."
Democratic strategists and organizers are pushing back against Trump claims that the U.S. economy is booming.
Democratic National Committee Rapid Response Director Kendall Witmer told Newsweek, "Donald Trump's train wreck of an economy is catching up to him, and it's no wonder voters are pissed. Trump promised to 'lower costs on Day One,' but prices are soaring, and good-paying jobs are out of reach for everyday Americans. Trump's plan of action so far has been to call affordability a 'hoax' and tell Americans not to 'be dramatic.' Meanwhile, working families are skipping meals, forgoing critical medical care, and depleting their savings as Trump doubles down on his disastrous economic policies."
Read Mandy Taheri's full article for Newsweek at this link.