Former President Donald Trump addressed his supporters during a NewsNation town hall on April 30, where he defended his actions during the first 100 days of his second term. Trump stated, “I’ll tell you, that’s the toughest question I can have because I don’t really believe I’ve made mistakes.” As the last couple recent polls indicate, that’s not enough. His approval rating ceiling is still stuck below 41%–42%. On top of that, more than half the respondents oppose his policies.
Seeing such polling figures has been enough for Trump to dismiss them as “fake polls,” claiming they’re not genuine indicators of where Americans stand on the matter. He cited what he sees as skewed methodologies, calling out pollsters for weighting their calls to Democrats more than Republicans. This skepticism comes as national economic indicators reveal concerning trends: the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the S&P 500 are down 6% since Election Day, while the Nasdaq has declined by 11%. Additionally, the national economy contracted by an annualized rate of 0.3% during the first quarter of this year.
Even with these disappointments, Trump sounded upbeat on the upcoming economic performance. He predicted “tremendous economic victories over the next period of a year,” emphasizing that such successes might occur “much faster than people understand.” He condemned the ongoing economic crisis solely on the policies that President Biden has enacted since taking office. He pointed to it as a clear outcome of policy choices made by his predecessor.
As seen above, Trump is undeterred in his methods, especially when it comes to import tariffs, which have sparked a global trade war. He articulated his belief that these tariffs will generate significant revenue for the United States, stating, “We’re going to make billions and billions of dollars, but it takes a little while.”
If Trump is serious about his second term, like any President should be, he understands this mountainous task ahead. He noted past predictions regarding electoral outcomes, recalling how he expected to lose Wisconsin in the 2024 presidential election but ultimately prevailed. This optimism amidst adversity pattern pervades Trump’s high-wire current political strategy.
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