Conservative talk show hosts and analysts alike are beginning to panic at the silence coming out of the White House regarding the nation’s slumping economy.
“It is not encouraging that the White House rapid response team is more invested in retweeting ‘Seditious 6’ tweets than talking about affordability, the cost of living, small business success, etc.,” posted conservative podcaster Erick Erickson on X. “It's almost like they don't have a positive story to tell.”
Trump is facing headwinds on multiple fronts, including his handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files and the recent federal government shutdown, but the ongoing problems with the economy appear to be the president’s biggest pain point.
The mood on Main Street got even darker in November with the Consumer Confidence Index dropping from a -6.8 reduction, compared to this time in October 2024, to a devastating -24.1 point drop in November, according to CNN. That dour view reflected in all political affiliations, Republicans, Democrats and — most notably — Independents.
“You’d have to go all the way back to 2021 to find consumer confidence this low,” said CNN analyst Matt Egan.
Erickson, a staunch conservative who regularly celebrates and retweets the closing of abortion facilities, reflected that same concern from the GOP end of the political spectrum.
While some commenters under his X post tried to claim “everything where I live is cheaper, gas groceries now,” many more commenters expressed alarm or resentment.
“… [T]he GOP has a trifecta and so far, has accomplished almost nothing,” said one commenter.
“If Trump wanted to see Republicans have a better chance of winning elections in the future, he wouldn't be acting as he’s been doing here,” said another.
“Trump refuses to acknowledge the issue to avoid blame, therefore putting a plan in place is a nonstarter,” said still another critic.