Trade uncertainty is "through the roof" for most Americans, according to CNN’s chief data analyst Harry Enten.
“Market futures are up this morning this after President [Donald] Trump backed off a new threat of 50 percent tariffs on the [European Union],” anchor John Berman said in his introduction to Enten’s segment.
The threat was made “after pulling back on a threat of reciprocal tariffs that he made on the EU, which he first made on 'liberation day,'” Berman said. “So he threatened them. He backed off. He threatened them, and he backed off, if you're keeping score at home right now. So how clear do voters think the president is on the issue of tariffs?”
EXCLUSIVE: Trump accused of new grift that puts Qatari plane in shade
“I got to admit, while you were reading that, I was confused, and I'm supposed to know this stuff,” Enten said. “You know what, Johnny B., the voters are confused too.”
“[Does] Trump [have] a clear plan for tariffs and trade? The majority answer here is no,” Enten said. “No, Donald Trump does not have a clear plan for tariffs and trade. This is the one thing that perturbs voters in the markets more than anything else: it's not whether or not you put tariffs on or not. It's whether you're going to actually do it and stick to your guns. The American public does not believe that Donald Trump sticks to his guns – 55 percent say no, he does not have a clear plan for trade and tariffs.”
“I will note, of course, the center of the electorate, the all important independent vote, 64 percent of independents say no, Donald Trump does not have a clear plan for trade and tariffs and I will note that this ‘no’ number has been creeping up,” Enten noted that data came from CBS News/YouGov polls.
“As Donald Trump's presidency goes on, the American people think he's becoming less clear over time," Enten said. “Trade policy uncertainty index, get this – compare now to last year, the trade policy uncertainty index through the roof, up 846 percent versus a year ago."
“They have been looking at this index going all the way back to 1960," Enten added. "It is higher now than in any month prior to 2025. We just are consistently breaking records this year, whereby it seems the further along we go, the more uncertainty there is in terms of the trade policy in this country."
- YouTubeyoutu.be
