Trump's advisors dismiss worries about the economy as the 100-day milestone approaches
Amid concerning polling numbers, the White House maintains that the benefits of tariffs and ongoing trade discussions will ultimately be realized by American citizens.
TroibNews 
As President Donald Trump approaches the 100th day of his second term, members of his administration are dismissing a wave of poor economic polling, asserting that American consumers and the economy remain stable despite concerns regarding tariffs, inflation, and volatility in financial markets.
Recent polling from CNN and the Washington Post reflects findings from Pew Research Center and Reuters/Ipsos released earlier this week, indicating a significant decline in Trump's economic approval among the public.
According to the CNN poll, Trump's approval rating stands at 41 percent, one of the lowest for a newly elected president at this stage in office in at least 70 years. His approval regarding economic policy has fallen to a career low of 39 percent. Additionally, a Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll reveals that over 70 percent of Americans now view the economy as “not so good” or “poor,” with 53 percent believing conditions have worsened since Trump returned to office in January.
Nonetheless, senior Trump officials are choosing not to engage with these findings.
“There are a hundred different polls that say 100 different things,” Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said during an appearance on CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday. “At the end of the day, President Trump is resolutely focused on ensuring that we are realigning the American economy to put Americans first.”
White House officials contend that Trump's assertive use of tariffs, despite unsettling financial markets and causing some price increases, will ultimately strengthen the economy and reduce taxes for Americans. Trump took to Truth Social on Sunday to defend his economic strategy.
“When Tariffs cut in, many people’s Income Taxes will be substantially reduced, maybe even completely eliminated. Focus will be on people making less than $200,000 a year,” Trump wrote.
He added: “Also, massive numbers of jobs are already being created, with new plants and factories currently being built or planned. It will be a BONANZA FOR AMERICA!!! THE EXTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE IS HAPPENING!!”
When questioned about the negative polling numbers, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent attributed the pessimistic outlook to media narratives that quickly declare economic despair.
“There was a story 10 days ago that said, this is the worst April for the stock market since the Great Depression,” Bessent stated on ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday. “Ten days later, the Nasdaq is now up in the month of April. And I haven't seen a story that says, ‘oh, the stock market has biggest bounce back ever.’”
Bessent expressed confidence in the administration’s strong tariff strategy: “In game theory it's called strategic uncertainty. So, you're not going to tell the person on the other side of the negotiation where you're going to end up. And nobody’s better at creating this leverage than President Trump.”
“You know, he’s shown these — the high tariffs, and here's the stick. This is where the tariffs can go,” he continued. “And the carrot is, come to us, take off your tariffs, take off your non-tariff trade barriers, stop manipulating your currency, stop subsidizing labor and capital, and then we can talk.”
This past week, Trump claimed to have negotiated trade deals with 200 countries, though he declined to specify who those countries are. Bessent acknowledged that the number of actual deals is closer to 17 or 18. The administration is currently about two weeks into a 90-day pause on the broad retaliatory tariffs placed on foreign trading partners earlier this month, with China being the only nation exempted from this pause.
Trump plans to commemorate the first 100 days of his second presidency with a rally in Michigan — a battleground state he won last year to secure his election victory — on Tuesday.
CNN’s poll surveyed 1,678 U.S. adults from April 17 to 24, with a margin of error of plus or minus 2.9 percentage points. The Washington Post’s poll was conducted with 2,464 U.S. adults from April 18 to 22, with a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points.
James del Carmen for TROIB News
Recent polling from CNN and the Washington Post reflects findings from Pew Research Center and Reuters/Ipsos released earlier this week, indicating a significant decline in Trump's economic approval among the public.
According to the CNN poll, Trump's approval rating stands at 41 percent, one of the lowest for a newly elected president at this stage in office in at least 70 years. His approval regarding economic policy has fallen to a career low of 39 percent. Additionally, a Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll reveals that over 70 percent of Americans now view the economy as “not so good” or “poor,” with 53 percent believing conditions have worsened since Trump returned to office in January.
Nonetheless, senior Trump officials are choosing not to engage with these findings.
“There are a hundred different polls that say 100 different things,” Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said during an appearance on CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday. “At the end of the day, President Trump is resolutely focused on ensuring that we are realigning the American economy to put Americans first.”
White House officials contend that Trump's assertive use of tariffs, despite unsettling financial markets and causing some price increases, will ultimately strengthen the economy and reduce taxes for Americans. Trump took to Truth Social on Sunday to defend his economic strategy.
“When Tariffs cut in, many people’s Income Taxes will be substantially reduced, maybe even completely eliminated. Focus will be on people making less than $200,000 a year,” Trump wrote.
He added: “Also, massive numbers of jobs are already being created, with new plants and factories currently being built or planned. It will be a BONANZA FOR AMERICA!!! THE EXTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE IS HAPPENING!!”
When questioned about the negative polling numbers, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent attributed the pessimistic outlook to media narratives that quickly declare economic despair.
“There was a story 10 days ago that said, this is the worst April for the stock market since the Great Depression,” Bessent stated on ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday. “Ten days later, the Nasdaq is now up in the month of April. And I haven't seen a story that says, ‘oh, the stock market has biggest bounce back ever.’”
Bessent expressed confidence in the administration’s strong tariff strategy: “In game theory it's called strategic uncertainty. So, you're not going to tell the person on the other side of the negotiation where you're going to end up. And nobody’s better at creating this leverage than President Trump.”
“You know, he’s shown these — the high tariffs, and here's the stick. This is where the tariffs can go,” he continued. “And the carrot is, come to us, take off your tariffs, take off your non-tariff trade barriers, stop manipulating your currency, stop subsidizing labor and capital, and then we can talk.”
This past week, Trump claimed to have negotiated trade deals with 200 countries, though he declined to specify who those countries are. Bessent acknowledged that the number of actual deals is closer to 17 or 18. The administration is currently about two weeks into a 90-day pause on the broad retaliatory tariffs placed on foreign trading partners earlier this month, with China being the only nation exempted from this pause.
Trump plans to commemorate the first 100 days of his second presidency with a rally in Michigan — a battleground state he won last year to secure his election victory — on Tuesday.
CNN’s poll surveyed 1,678 U.S. adults from April 17 to 24, with a margin of error of plus or minus 2.9 percentage points. The Washington Post’s poll was conducted with 2,464 U.S. adults from April 18 to 22, with a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points.
James del Carmen for TROIB News
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