President Donald Trump is boldly proclaiming victory over a battered economy, slapping it with a grade most teachers would blush to give, while many Americans still feel the pinch at the checkout line.
According to Fox News, ten months into his term, Trump is touting significant progress in taming high prices inherited from the prior administration, even as Democrats capitalize on affordability woes and voters express growing frustration in national surveys.
Let’s rewind to the starting line: Trump took office, claiming he walked into an economic disaster, with prices at historic highs under former President Joe Biden’s watch.
He’s not shy about his report card, either, boasting, “A-plus. Yeah, A-plus-plus-plus-plus-plus,” when grading the economy under his leadership.
That’s quite the self-assessment, but let’s unpack the bravado—while Trump’s confidence might rally the base, a Fox News survey from November 2025 shows 76% of voters view the economy negatively, a jump from earlier in the year.
Clearly, the gold stars aren’t sticking for everyone, and twice as many folks in that poll pin the blame on Trump rather than Biden for their financial headaches.
Trump points to falling energy costs as a cornerstone of his success, arguing that when energy prices dip, everything else follows suit.
As he told Politico, “Prices are coming down substantially. Look at energy... energy has come down incredibly.”
That’s a fair point—lower fuel costs can ease burdens across the board, but with three times as many voters in the same survey saying Trump’s policies have hurt them, the relief might not be hitting home yet.
The White House isn’t letting up on pointing fingers, ramping up rhetoric that Biden’s tenure left behind the worst inflation in decades, skyrocketing mortgage rates, and sharp interest rate hikes.
Spokesman Kush Desai doubled down, stating, “Putting an end to Joe Biden’s inflation and affordability crisis has been a Day One priority for President Trump.”
That’s a strong jab at the previous administration, but with holiday shopping in full swing, voter anxiety over finances isn’t exactly jingling any bells of confidence in Trump’s fixes.
Meanwhile, Democrats are seizing the moment, having swept key elections in November 2025, including gubernatorial races in New Jersey and Virginia, plus the New York City mayoral contest, all while hammering on affordability.
These victories are seen as a warning shot for the 2026 midterms, pushing Republicans to sharpen their economic pitch as Trump heads to Pennsylvania, a critical battleground, to tout his policies on December 9, 2025.
While Trump’s team insists they’ve made “amazing” strides in just 10 months, the disconnect with voters—who still feel squeezed—suggests the road ahead is less a victory lap and more a steep climb.