Trump Approval Soars As Economic Signal Lifts Pressure on American Families
A new Daily Mail survey shows President Donald J. Trump gaining momentum with voters as the economic picture brightens heading into winter — a development that undercuts Democrats’ attempts to revive “affordability” politics after years of Biden-era inflation.
The Daily Mail/J.L. Partners poll of 1,000 registered voters found President Trump’s approval rating ticking up from 45 percent on Nov. 21 to 47 percent on Dec. 4, a modest but notable rise with a 3.1-point margin of error. The shift comes as several key indicators point to improving conditions for American consumers, despite persistent Democratic messaging that voters remain burdened by rising costs — a narrative Trump has repeatedly dismissed as a “Democrat scam.”
Thanksgiving weekend delivered a record-breaking wave of online spending. Adobe Analytics reported that consumers shelled out $44.2 billion online from Black Friday through Cyber Monday, setting new highs across the board.
Energy prices have also turned sharply downward. Gasoline averages dipped below $3 per gallon for the first time since 2021, according to AAA — a significant retreat from the elevated prices Americans endured throughout 2022, 2023 and 2024.
The broader economy is showing steady strength as well. The Bureau of Economic Analysis indicated that U.S. GDP is experiencing its fastest growth since the third quarter of 2023, driven heavily by consumer spending — precisely the metric analysts watch when assessing middle-class stability.
The same poll found Trump’s disapproval rating at 53 percent, but the overall trend lines suggest the President’s economic message is breaking through.
During a Cabinet meeting last week, Trump slammed Democrats for suddenly feigning concern about rising costs only after years of runaway inflation under former President Joe Biden. “Our prices now for energy, for gasoline, are really low. Electricity is coming down. And when that comes down, everything comes down,” Trump said. “The word affordability is a Democrat scam. Affordability is a hoax that was started by Democrats who caused the problem of pricing.”
In response to persistent challenges from the Left, President Trump has advanced an aggressive slate of policies aimed squarely at lowering everyday costs for working families.
Earlier this week, he reversed Biden’s burdensome emissions standards — regulations critics say artificially inflated vehicle prices. He also directed pharmaceutical companies to reduce drug prices and launched a White House prescription-drug portal, TrumpRx, designed to cut costs by eliminating “third-party” middlemen.
Trump is also promoting a domestic policy package — enacted in July — that will lower taxes on tips, overtime pay and Social Security income beginning next year, a move widely praised by small-business owners and service-industry workers.
The White House is now launching an “affordability tour” to promote these policy wins and highlight the stark contrast between Trump’s consumer-focused agenda and Democrats’ recent scramble to rebrand themselves as champions of household budgets. As The New York Post reported, “He will kick off his economics-focused tour at a casino in northeastern Pennsylvania Tuesday, where he is expected to tout lower gas prices, his role securing $100 billion in energy and artificial intelligence investments for the Keystone State and his approval for Japanese investment in US Steel.”
But Democrats appear eager to reclaim the affordability message heading into the November 2026 congressional elections. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries are trying to frame health care, housing, food, and energy costs as central campaign issues, Axios reported.
Schumer even posted an edited Instagram video splicing Trump’s affordability statements from the 2024 campaign with recent remarks in which Trump declared affordability a “Democrat hoax.”
Still, Republican strategists argue that Democrats’ messaging struggles stem from a deeper disconnect. Michigan strategist Dennis Lennox told The Post, “Trump’s done a lot on his own — as much as possible and then some given the 60-vote threshold in the Senate — and he’s reasserted American leadership on the world stage. But, domestically, many voters, including within his own coalition, don’t know what’s being done or don’t think enough is being done.”
“They’re hearing constant headlines about white-collar job losses from AI. They don’t yet feel the full impact of declining inflation. And when they look at their paychecks, wages haven’t risen as quickly as they expected. The disconnect between what the administration is advancing and what voters are feeling in real time is driving much of the current frustration,” Lennox added.
For President Trump, the improving economic data — paired with rising approval numbers — suggests Democrats may soon find themselves boxed out of an issue they once believed would define the midterms. The stronger the economy grows, the harder it becomes for them to argue that “affordability” belongs to anyone but the man already delivering results from the White House.