Trump Struggles To Find His Economic Messaging Amid Voter Skepticism

Bonisiwe Shabane

-Dec 21, 2025, 7:05 AM

trump struggles to find his economic messaging amid voter skepticism

President Trump delivers remarks during an event at Mount Airy Casino Resort on Tuesday in Mount Pocono, Pa. Trump discussed his administration's economic agenda and its efforts to lower the cost of living. Alex Wong/Getty Images hide caption President Trump spent the week making a bold case about a booming U.S. economy with even better times ahead, as his economic policies kick in. The problem for Trump is that polls show a wide swath of Americans aren't feeling that optimism yet — and in his initial attempts at addressing the cost of living, he called the affordability...

Hoping to tackle the messaging disconnect, the White House rolled out a $12 billion farmer aid package and sent Trump to Pennsylvania this week to make his case. Trump has frequently shown himself a strong economic messenger — winning reelection in 2024 by lambasting Joe Biden's economy. But one year into his presidency, Trump is struggling to convince Americans that the economic pain they see in their cost-of-living expenses isn't real. In part, the president's whiplash messaging could stem from his struggle to portray his own economy as less than perfect. WEKU is a trusted national and regional news source serving Lexington, Kentucky and beyond. Get the full story at WEKU.org

President Trump spent the week making a bold case about a booming US economy with even better times ahead, as his economic policies kick in. The problem for Trump is that polls show a wide swath of Americans aren't feeling that optimism yet - and in his initial attempts at addressing the cost of living, he called the affordability... Hoping to tackle the messaging disconnect, the White House rolled out a $12 billion farmer aid package and sent President Trump to Pennsylvania this week to make his case. Trump has frequently shown himself a strong economic messenger - winning re-election in 2024 by lambasting Joe Biden's economy. But one year into his presidency, Trump is struggling to convince Americans that the economic pain they see in their cost-of-living expenses isn't real. In part, the president's whiplash messaging could stem from his struggle to portray his own economy as less than perfect.

Economist Stephen Moore highlights the growing economic momentum under President Trump, yet voter skepticism and cost-of-living concerns pose significant challenges for effective messaging. Economist Stephen Moore asserts that economic momentum is building under President Donald Trump, but translating these gains into political advantage will require more effective messaging. Despite improving economic indicators, many voters remain skeptical. “There’s a perception and there’s reality,” Moore explained in an interview with Fox News Digital. “The reality is what the numbers show — that median family income is up by about $1,200 this year, adjusted for inflation. We’re seeing real increases in wealth.

Anyone investing in the stock market — not just rich people, but about 160 million Americans — has retirement savings in stocks.” However, Moore, a former Trump adviser and co-founder of the free-market advocacy organization Unleash Prosperity, acknowledged that rising everyday costs continue to shape public perception of the economy. “People tend to focus on the things that are rising in price, and I understand that,” he said. “But there are also areas where costs have fallen, including gasoline, airline tickets, and some everyday items.” This disconnect between economic data and voter sentiment presents a political challenge for Trump. He returned to the White House promising affordability but now faces doubts about whether that pledge is being fulfilled.

A recent Fox News national survey found that 76% of voters rate the economy negatively, an increase from 67% in July and 70% at the end of former President Joe Biden’s term. The poll indicated that voters are more likely to blame Trump than Biden for current economic conditions, with three times as many respondents stating that Trump’s policies have personally hurt them. Nearly a year into his second term, President Trump is facing growing skepticism as Americans feel persistent cost-of-living pressures despite his efforts to defend the strength of the economy. (Image credit: Alex Wong) ...... read full story In the closing months of 2025, President Donald J.

Trump faces mounting challenges in crafting a compelling economic narrative, as voters express growing skepticism over aggressive tariff policies and their real-world impacts.[1][3] Despite a flurry of executive orders aimed at reshaping trade and... Trump’s economic agenda kicked off with bold declarations of a “national emergency” on trade deficits. On April 2, 2025, Executive Order 14257 introduced reciprocal tariffs to counter “large and persistent” U.S. goods trade deficits, setting the stage for iterative expansions.[1] By July 31, subsequent orders revised and broadened these tariffs on imports from various countries, excluding those in active negotiations. A key focus was combating transshipment—rerouting goods through third countries to dodge duties—with penalties up to 40% tariffs plus additional fines if detected by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.[1] These moves extended into August, with a 25% ad valorem duty on imports from India tied to its handling of Russian oil, signaling a broader geopolitical tariff strategy.[1]

Tariffs extended to specific sectors, underscoring Trump’s protectionist pivot. A proclamation slapped 25% tariffs on medium- and heavy-duty trucks, truck parts, and 10% on buses, aiming to shield domestic manufacturing.[1] On July 30, Trump suspended the duty-free de minimis exemption for all non-postal... November 4 brought a U.S.-China trade deal under the “Kuala Lumpur Joint Arrangement,” suspending heightened tariffs until 2026; China agreed to lift export controls on rare earths, ease retaliation against U.S. semiconductors, and buy American agricultural products like soybeans and sorghum.[1] Yet, these actions have not coalesced into a unified economic messaging that resonates. Trump’s administration issued 218 executive orders in 2025 alone, from EO 14147 to 14364, covering trade, energy, and investment—a volume dwarfing predecessors and highlighting frenetic policymaking.[4] Efforts like “Democratizing Access to Alternative Assets for...

Voter skepticism stems from tangible economic friction. Since January 2025, Trump’s foreign policy—especially tariffs—has cooled U.S. ties with allies, complicating supply chains and raising costs.[3] Analyses from economic think tanks like CEPR note that while tariffs aim to rectify imbalances, they risk higher consumer prices, disrupted agriculture exports, and retaliatory... The de minimis suspension, while closing loopholes, burdens small businesses reliant on global sourcing.[1] As much as President Donald Trump wants to insist otherwise, the struggling economy is a vulnerability for him and Republicans leading into the 2026 midterm elections. A new high 67% of Americans disapprove of Trump’s handling of the economy, according to a new AP-NORC poll.

Trump was elected largely because of the economic woes of the Biden administration and the promise of a return to the boom that was the first Trump term before COVID-19. Instead, America has received tariff insanity and more economic struggles as a result. Trump’s messaging on the economy has been bad, and poses a real opportunity for Democratic politicians to exploit heading into the midterms. Trump’s messaging approach on the economy has been disastrous. He has at times proclaimed the economy is great and, at others, blamed the struggles on former President Joe Biden. These are inherently conflicting messages, and a far cry from his campaign promise of a full recovery if voters simply gave him back the power to fix it.

Trump has even opted to call the struggles a "hoax.”

Trump Struggles To Find His Economic Messaging Amid Voter Skepticism

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