U.S. President Donald Trump looks on during an event to make an announcement about lowering the cost of drug prices, at the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., December 19, 2025. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein
As Donald Trump’s second term rolls on, growing numbers of Americans say the economic anxiety just keeps piling up, with little relief in sight. CNN reports retirees and working families alike are struggling under rising prices and shaky job prospects as tariffs and other Trump-era policies bite. Sixty-two-year-old retiree Helen Nerviano described a “constant, never-ending struggle” to afford groceries and health care, saying she routinely puts items back at checkout because she simply can’t pay. Economists warn the pain reflects a deepening K-shaped economy, where wealthy Americans continue to thrive while middle- and lower-income households fall behind — a divide made worse by stagnant job growth and stubbornly high everyday costs.
