Donald Trump's administration can no longer play the "blame game" for economic woes as they are "out of targets", a political analyst has claimed.
The administration has consistently blamed predecessor Joe Biden for the woeful state of the economy, but as the new year starts, Trump can no longer rely on the excuse of the previous presidency. Political analyst David Goldman, writing in CNN, suggested the administration has no more viable targets to pin economic blame to.
Goldman wrote, "That’s why Trump’s economic message – that the economy is booming and deserves an 'A+++++' grade – has fallen so flat with Americans, many of whom are struggling to make ends meet or who feel like the American Dream has never been further out of reach."
"Trump’s blame game, already falling on deaf ears, is about to be out of convenient targets. That means Trump will own this economy, politically at least, at perhaps the worst possible time – when the job market and affordability appear to be on a sinking ship. The midterms are coming up and Americans are once again voting with their wallets."
The two excuses often brought out by Trump and the administration, Biden and Federal Chair Jerome Powell, are "already falling flat" according to Goldman.
He explained, "Trump continues to disparage Biden for high inflation, but Biden hasn’t been in office for 12 months, and polls show Americans are no longer giving Trump the benefit of the doubt."
"Trump started criticizing his 2017 pick for Fed chair almost immediately after taking office again, slamming Powell for keeping interest rates higher than Trump wants. When that chair is appointed, likely in May when Powell’s term as chair expires, Trump will have claimed the economy for himself. That could be a politically precarious proposition for the president."
Further analysis from Stephen Collinson has suggested Trump must "plug the leaks of power", and it may not be possible for the president to take action.
Collinson wrote, "This year, he’ll need to accomplish a mission at which he failed in his first term — rebuilding his political capital in office. The next year may decide whether a president who has defied every other norm in his office can plug the leaks of power that turn second-term presidents into lame ducks."