In March, CBS found that only 34% of Americans blamed Trump for inflation compared to 38% who blamed Biden. However, after Trump’s “reciprocal” tariff announcement, CBS found that 54% blamed Trump only, and another 20% blamed Trump and Biden equally. It may not all be Trump’s fault, but voters still blame him.

When the stock market was climbing in January 2024, Donald Trump knew exactly who deserved credit: He did. Nearly a year before his return to the White House, he declared on his Truth Social platform that investors were celebrating his lead in the polls against President Joe Biden.

President Donald Trump has started vacillating between telling Americans to be patient in the face of bad economic news and blaming his predecessor for it, leaving him vulnerable to losing the support of voters who elected him to improve the nation’s economy.