Donald Trump had a heated exchange with a reporter this week after being questioned about several polls indicating that Americans are concerned about the economy.
The President dismissed these concerns, challenging the notion that citizens might not be feeling optimistic about the economic climate, as he dismissed the recent statistics.
According to a new Harris poll published by The Guardian, three-quarters of Americans stated that their overall household expenses have risen over the past year.
The same poll revealed that 55 percent of both Democrats and independents blame the Trump administration for the current economic conditions, while Republicans attribute the situation to yearly changes brought on by inflation.
Trump, however, is skeptical that US citizens are worried about the economy. When asked by Fox News Channel’s Laura Ingraham, “Why are people saying they’re anxious about the economy?” he responded: “I don’t know that they are saying that. We have the greatest economy we’ve ever had.”
In August, Trump asserted in a social media post that there is ‘virtually no inflation’ in the US.
Contrary to his claim, inflation currently stands at three percent, which is one percent above the target. Economic experts caution that this figure is likely to rise in the coming months due to the persistent effects of tariffs.
The poll identified inflation as the biggest threat to the US economy according to participants.
In response to the poll’s release, White House spokesperson Kush Desai told the Independent that “real wages are up and inflation is trending towards a cool and stable 2.3 percent annualized rate since President Trump took office.”
The statement continued: “As the Trump administration’s aggressive supply-side agenda continues to take effect, Americans can count on further economic relief from Joe Biden’s inflation crisis – on top of trillions in investments that are pouring in to make and hire in America.”
Trump’s interview with Fox News occurred amid an ongoing governmental shutdown, which has resulted in thousands of flight cancellations at airports nationwide in recent days.
“Life is not so easy for anybody,” the President remarked. “Our country has never done better. We should not have had people leaving their job.”