Even GOP voters are souring on economy

Here’s a shocker: Democrats and Republicans don't see eye-to-eye on the economy.

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But focusing on the partisan divide obscures the bigger picture: Majorities in both parties think the economy is not good. This is bad news for Republicans, the party in power and also the party historically more trusted with the economy. And it’s bad news for Trump. His election hinged on many cultural factors, but the man with a golden escalator was supposed to get us out of the Biden-dug economic slump.

Only 44% of Republicans think the economy is excellent or good, according to new data from the Pew Research Center. Compare this to the soaring approval of GOP voters in Trump's first term before COVID hit — when 81% thought the economy was good, according to the Tribune News Service. Only 10% of Democrats think the economy is doing well, roughly 30 points lower than during most of Trump's first term — when they were not as enthusiastic as Republicans, but when many still said the economy was good — and lower than during the Biden presidency. Independents, too, are less than enthused these days, with 74% classifying the economy as poor.