'You break it, you buy it': Warning signs for Trump as people blame him for economic woes

In a poll conducted by NPR-PBS-Marist College, released on Tuesday, 60 percent of respondents attributed the current economic conditions primarily to Trump’s policies. Only 39 percent felt he simply "inherited" the circumstances. This means that Americans are increasingly associating the current economic situation with Trump.

In an article published in the Washington Post on Tuesday, senior reporter Aaron Blake noted that a year into Trump’s first term, specifically in January 2018, only 40 percent of Americans felt that economic conditions were largely a result of his policies. This figure has now increased by 20 points, just three months into his second term.

The administration has tried to blame former President Joe Biden for the economic uncertainty, but this argument may no longer work.

"A major unhelpful political side effect of Trump’s trade war is that it makes whatever happens next easy to connect to a specific policy and a specific man. Trump implemented these economy-rocking tariffs unilaterally, after all. If things go south, it will be very difficult to argue that this is Joe Biden’s or anyone else’s fault — despite the administration’s attempts to pre-blame the former president," Blake said.

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According to Blake, the fact that people are starting to blame Trump for their economic woes so early into his administration says a lot about his popularity.

"Inflation during Biden’s term was a big story that probably cost Democrats the 2024 election. That inflation has lingered. But people seem to be turning the page and tying things to Trump.The data suggest the Pottery Barn rule is very much in effect for Trump and whatever happens with the economy: You break it, you buy it," he said.

According to a recent Washington Post-Ipsos poll conducted from April 18 to April 22, Trump's approval rating concerning the economy stands at 39 percent. 61 percent of adults disapprove of his performance in this area.

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The poll revealed that 53 percent of adults believe the economy has declined since Trump began his second term, while only 21 percent feel it has improved.

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