Friday, December 26, 2025

Bah humbug! Americans sour on economy

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This is America

Stories of justice and action across America

Fri Dec 26 2025

Americans aren't happy, whether it's about the economy or the direction of the country, and President Donald Trump's approval ratings are taking a hit, too.

It's the holidays, This is America, readers, but it certainly doesn't feel merry for most. About 47% of U.S. adults rate the current economic conditions as poor and 68% believe it is getting worse, according to a Dec. 22 Gallup survey.

No one appears to be safe from the people's wrath. The poll finds large margins of disapproval of leaders in Congress, the White House, Supreme Court and the Federal Reserve.

Trump's approval rating stands at 36% overall, including an anemic 25% among independent voters. Same goes for Congress, which holds a 17% approval, including lawmakers in leadership who haven't earned a majority-level approval, either.

President Donald Trump arrives to deliver remarks on the economy and affordability at the Mount Airy Casino Resort in Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania, on Dec. 9.

Jonathan Ernst, REUTERS

Several USA TODAY readers told our opinion forum that groceries top their big-ticket items this Christmas, and it's expected that cost of living will headline the 2026 midterm elections.

The Trump administration has been looking to reset the conversation and policy menu to tackle affordability, and one of the first levers that it could pull is the idea of a $2,000 tariff dividend for lower- and middle-income Americans, but voters are skeptical.

For more on what's happening with the economy, check out USA TODAY's coverage:

Rich people are spending. Everyone else is cutting corners. If America's economy has a prosperous holiday season, the data suggests, we'll have rich folks to thank.

Generosity abounds in America's young people. But there's a catch.

'Not a happy Trump supporter': Ranchers hit by push for lower beef prices

Trump, Clinton are in the Epstein files spotlight

Former President Bill Clinton was the first to be thrust in the Epstein files spotlight when thousands of case files were released by the U.S. Justice Department thanks to a bipartisan law passed by Congress.

It's long been known Clinton was friendly with Epstein, the wealth manager who died by suicide in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges.

Clinton has repeatedly denied any knowledge of Epstein's alleged criminal conduct. He appears in several newly unveiled photographs , including one in a hot tub with a woman whose face has been obscured.

But the department was heavily criticized by lawmakers, Clinton's office and women who accused Epstein of abuse for withholding hundreds of thousands of pages of additional documents.

Four days after the initial release and rounds of criticism, Trump's name surfaced repeatedly in thousands of additional documents put out for the public.

Trump and Epstein were close friends in the 1990s and early 2000s before having a falling out, and, like Clinton, the sitting president has denied knowledge of any criminal conduct.