Inflation

Trump Approval Rating At 35%: 59% Of Voters Say Gas Prices Will Get Worse

Chris Katje — Tue, 09 Jun 2026 22:51:10 +0000

A new poll shows President Donald Trump with a low approval rating and higher gas prices could be the reason to blame, similar to other recent polls since the U.S. attacked Iran in February.

Trump Approval Rating

A new Reuters/Ipsos poll shows Trump with an approval rating of 35%, unchanged from the same polling group in mid-May.

Trump's disapproval rating stands at 63% in the poll, also unchanged from the most recent poll.

The president has a net approval rating of -28.

Trump's approval rating is just above the lowest he has had in his second presidential term, according to Reuters/Ipsos, ahead of a 34% rating from April.

In the latest poll, only 17% of voters said gas prices will get better because of the Iran War, while 13% say they will stay the same and 59% think they will get worse. The remaining 11% said they were not sure or ...

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Kevin Hassett Shrugs Off Inflation Fears, Urges Americans To Focus On Rising Real Wages: 'They Have A Lot More Money...'

Namrata Sen — Mon, 01 Jun 2026 11:52:41 +0000

The National Economic Council (NEC) Director Kevin Hassett downplayed the growing concerns about the U.S. economy amid rising gas prices and inflation due to the ongoing Iran war, and urged Americans to look at the larger picture.

Speaking on ABC's "This Week" on Sunday, Hassett said, "What you need to do is smooth through the ups and downs, look at what's happening to real wages," he said.

Hassett highlighted the “really positive news” about the economy, stating that “real incomes, real wages are going up.” Despite the economic anxiety expressed by Americans, Hassett maintained that Americans will view their economic situation positively when making political decisions.

“And if they look at their wallets and look at how much money they have after, you know, the increase in prices, they're going to find that they have a lot more money," the Trump advisor said.

Although he acknowledged the strain high energy prices are causing, Hassett expressed optimism that the situation will soon improve. He dismissed a warning from Exxon Mobil (NYSE:XOM) Senior Vice ...

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Marjorie Taylor Greene Slams 'Fuzzy Math' That Doesn't Lower Food, Gas Prices, But Allows New Fed Chair Kevin Warsh To Lower Rates

radhikanadig@benzinga.com — Mon, 01 Jun 2026 07:41:14 +0000

Marjorie Taylor Greene slammed the new Federal Reserve Chair, Kevin Warsh, in a social media post on Sunday.

The Former Georgia Congresswoman said that placing greater emphasis on “trimmed mean” inflation would downplay the impact of rising food and energy prices on American households.

“Fuzzy math doesn't lower the cost of food and gas even if it allows the new Fed Chair to lower interest rates,” Greene said in a post on X.

Fed Chair’s Inflation View

Warsh, at his confirmation in April, urged policymakers to place greater emphasis on alternative inflation measures such as trimmed mean inflation, which excludes the largest monthly price increases and declines to better capture underlying price trends.

He suggested that conventional inflation measures can be overly influenced by short-term shocks, making trimmed mean inflation a more reliable guide for policymakers.

The Debate Over Inflation Metrics

Greene suggested that a greater reliance ...

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Fed's Schmid Warns Inflation Is 'Too Hot,' Energy Shock May Not Be Temporary

Namrata Sen — Fri, 29 May 2026 12:55:54 +0000

The President of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, Jeffrey Schmid, has raised concerns that the ongoing energy shock may not be as short-lived as expected, considering the existing high inflation rates.

During a conference in Iceland on Friday, Schmid expressed, “My primary concern is inflation, which is too hot and has been above target for too long.” He further emphasized his skepticism about the recent price surge being “transitory” within an acceptable time frame, reported Reuters.

“Now is not the time to let down our guard, given how long inflation has been above the central bank's 2% target,” Schmid added.

The Kansas Fed President noted that despite the U.S.’s reduced susceptibility to energy shocks compared to the past, higher gasoline prices still affect consumer spending. He also highlighted that U.S. energy firms are leaning towards greater capital discipline and are reluctant to boost oil production due to price uncertainties.

At the time of writing, Brent crude oil was trading 1.64% lower at $84.40 per barrel, while the WTI crude futures were trading 1.53% lower at $87.54 per barrel.

Despite the concerns, Schmid ...

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Top Economist Warns The US Economy 'Isn't Just Soft, It's Struggling' As Trump's Iran War Threatens To Push America Closer To A Recession

radhikanadig@benzinga.com — Fri, 29 May 2026 07:30:49 +0000

Moody’s Analytics Chief Economist Mark Zandi warned Thursday that the U.S. economy was struggling and said disruptions linked to the US- Israel war on Iran could significantly increase recession risks.

“The economy isn't just soft, it's struggling……….The Iran war needs to end, and the Strait of Hormuz needs to be reopened soon, or recession will become more likely than not,” Zandi said in a post on X.

The economy isn't just soft, it's struggling. That's the clear message in the flood of economic data released today.

Ordered from least to most worrisome:

First-quarter real GDP was revised down to just 1.6% and this includes the bounce back from the government shutdown at the…

— Mark Zandi (@Markzandi) May 28, 2026

Zandi Points To Weaker Growth, Housing And Capital Spending As Warning Signs

Supporting Zandi’s warning on persistent price pressures, American consumers paid more for goods and services in April than they had in nearly three years. Inflation rose 3.8% year-over-year—its highest level since ...

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Trump Approval Hits New Low Of 39%: Record High Stock Prices Not Impressing Majority Of Voters

Chris Katje — Thu, 28 May 2026 22:38:54 +0000

Stock market indexes continue to hit record highs in the month of May, continuing a trend of higher stock prices in 2026 compared to past years. While this could represent a strong point for investors, many voters are facing economic pressure with higher gas prices and higher costs of goods.

• State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust stock is approaching key resistance levels. What’s driving SPY to record levels?

Trump's Approval Rating Falls

Higher gas prices and costs of items like food are weighing on American consumers and hurting the approval rating of President Donald Trump.

In a new Emerson College poll, Trump's approval rating hits 39%, down one percentage point from the previous month. This marks another record low for the poll since Trump took office for his second term in January 2025.

Trump's disapproval rating stood at 55% for the May poll, improving one percentage point from a record-high 56% in April. This marks a tie for the second-highest disapproval rating for the president in his second term.

The ...

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War-Linked Oil Shock Revives Inflation Trade, But ETF Investors Could Be Repeating A 2022 Mistake

Chandrima Sanyal — Thu, 28 May 2026 20:59:22 +0000

Fresh inflation data is putting TIPS ETFs back under the microscope, raising a familiar question for investors: Are inflation-protected bond funds headed for another letdown just as inflation fears heat up again?

The Federal Reserve's preferred inflation gauge climbed to its highest level in nearly three years in April as the Strait of Hormuz energy shock continued to ripple through the economy. Headline Personal Consumption Expenditures inflation accelerated to 3.8% year over year, while gasoline and other energy goods surged 5.5% month over month after a 20.9% spike in March.

That backdrop has pushed investors back toward Treasury inflation-protected securities, or TIPS, ETFs. Yet the category's recent performance suggests many investors may still underestimate the interest-rate risks embedded in these funds.

The largest TIPS ETFs have seen net inflows since the Iran conflict escalated in late February despite rising inflation concerns. The Schwab U.S. TIPS ETF (NYSE:SCHP) has gained $113 million, according to ETFDb data, while the iShares TIPS Bond ETF (NYSE:TIP) saw $826 million in inflows. The State Street SPDR Portfolio TIPS ETF (NYSE:SPIP) ...

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Higher Inflation, Slower Growth: Why Hormuz Is Silently Choking The US Economy

Piero Cingari — Thu, 28 May 2026 17:38:51 +0000

The economic fallout from the Strait of Hormuz disruption continues to hit the U.S. economy, driving inflation higher and slowing growth as Wall Street questions whether the Federal Reserve’s next move is up, not down.

American consumers are paying the most for goods and services in nearly three years. Consider the April Personal Consumption Expenditures report released Thursday. Headline inflation is at 3.8% year-over-year. That’s the hottest reading since 2023.

A separate release revised first-quarter gross domestic product growth down to a 1.6% annualized pace from the initial 2.0% estimate.

Accelerating prices alongside decelerating growth is the macro signature of the Iran war energy shock working through the system.

Despite the macro shock, the U.S. stock market continues to break records. The S&P 500 — tracked by the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (NYSE:SPY) — surpassed 7,550 points for the first time ever on Friday.

The question is whether Wall Street is ignoring the macro reality or already pricing a Hormuz reopening that drains the inflation out of it.

Why Q1 2026 Growth Was Revised Down

Oxford Economics chief U.S. economist Michael Pearce said a slowdown in profit growth and a larger-than-expected decline in stockbuilding primarily drove the downward revision to GDP.

New data showed services spending, particularly on medical services, slowed during the quarter, while business inventories fell by more than previously estimated.

With inventory levels now lean, Pearce still expects a wave of restocking to materialize, but cautioned that the impact of the war and the related jump in uncertainty and supply-chain stress means that rebound may not arrive until late this year or early 2027.

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The $800 Billion AI Binge Led By Amazon And Microsoft Is Now Feeding Wall Street's Worst Nightmare

Surbhi Jain — Wed, 27 May 2026 15:48:55 +0000

The massive AI spending spree led by Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN), Microsoft Corp (NASDAQ:MSFT), Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOGL) and Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META) is increasingly colliding with one of the market's biggest fears: higher inflation and interest rates that refuse to come down.

BlackRock, Inc. (NYSE:BLK) reignited concerns when it warned that the AI infrastructure race is helping fuel inflationary pressure across the economy.

"The AI buildout is driving sustained investment demand across the economy, further stoking inflation and demand for capital," the asset manager wrote in a note published this week.

Markets were already grappling with sticky inflation, rising energy prices and fresh supply-chain concerns tied to the Middle East conflict. But BlackRock's note suggests the AI boom itself may now be adding to the pressure.

...

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Stocks Are At Record Highs — Yet Only 40% Of Voters Approve Of Trump's Economy

Chris Katje — Fri, 22 May 2026 20:34:31 +0000

The approval rating for President Donald Trump continues to be under 50% with voters concerned about the president's focus on several key areas. The lower rating comes with stock market indexes hitting all-time highs this week.

Trump Approval Rating

A new Morning Consult poll shows President Donald Trump with an approval rating of 42% and a disapproval rating of 55%. The net approval rating of -13 points is in line with recent polls.

The 42% approval rating is tied for the lowest in the Morning Consult poll since Trump took office for a second time in January, 2025.

Here are the approval and disapproval ratings by political party:

Republicans: 84% approval, 16% disapproval
Democrats: 10% approval, 88% disapproval
Independents: 30% approval, 63% disapproval

In the latest poll, Trump lost ground on all 12 major issues tracked by Morning Consult among voters.

The current items that voters believe should be top priorities of Trump are:

Lowering Costs: 72%
Health Care Affordability: 69%
Reducing Energy Prices: 64%

Among approval ratings for individual target areas, Trump's rating for the handling of the economy ...

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A New Food Inflation Shock May Be Coming— And Fertilizer Prices Are The Warning Sign

Tanya Rawat — Thu, 21 May 2026 09:19:16 +0000

Market commentator The Kobeissi Letter on Thursday warned that food prices could rise further as fertilizer costs surge amid disruptions tied to the Iran conflict, sharing a recent DoubleLine Capital LP commentary on the issue.

The market commentary account said food is set to become "even more expensive" as global fertilizer prices have surged 44% since the start of the war, reaching the highest level since 2022. The account added that roughly one-third of globally traded fertilizer passes through the Strait of Hormuz, which remains effectively closed.

"We believe a new wave of global food inflation is imminent," The Kobeissi Letter said in a post on X.

Food is set to become even more expensive:

World fertilizer prices have surged +44% since the start of the Iran War, to the highest since 2022.

This comes as ~33% of globally traded fertilizers pass through the Strait of Hormuz, which remains effectively closed.

This includes… pic.twitter.com/cg9Kbf6eAT

— The Kobeissi Letter (@KobeissiLetter) May 20, 2026

The account also noted that the Strait of Hormuz disruption affects 23% of global ammonia trade, 34% of urea supply and nearly 20% of phosphate supply. The Bloomberg Agriculture Subindex, which tracks futures prices for crops including wheat, corn, soybeans, sugar, coffee and cotton, ...

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Trump's Iran War Risks 'Unmoored' Inflation And 'Weaker Economy,' Warns Moody's Chief Economist As Ed Yardeni Sees July Rate Hike

Rishabh Mishra — Tue, 19 May 2026 06:25:06 +0000

Geopolitical tensions from the Iran war are raising alarms on Wall Street, with top economists warning that inflationary pressures could force the Federal Reserve into aggressive rate hikes.

Inflation Fears And ‘Economic Damage’

The economic toll of the Iran war is extending far beyond rising commodity prices. According to Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody's Analytics, surging interest rates—highlighted by the 10-year Treasury yield jumping to 4.6%—reflect a rapidly shifting landscape.

Zandi warns that the war is actively driving up inflation expectations. “Nothing spooks the Fed more than unmoored inflation expectations,” Zandi stated, noting this is how high inflation becomes entrenched.

He cautioned that the Fed will inevitably raise rates until expectations cool, “regardless of the hit to the broader economy.” Policymakers rightfully fear that inaction will cause inflation to “metastasize,” ultimately requiring even higher rates and an even “weaker economy” to rein it back in.

The economic damage caused by the Iran War extends beyond higher oil and other commodity prices. This was made clear this past Friday when interest rates surged. The 10-year Treasury yield jumped to 4.6%, which is at the upper end of its range since before the Global Financial… pic.twitter.com/bGjY4X7CJw

— Mark Zandi (@Markzandi) May 18, 2026

Looming July Rate Hike

Echoing the sentiment that the Fed must aggressively act, prominent market watcher Ed Yardeni anticipates ...

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BlackRock's Jeff Rosenberg Pushes Back On Inflation Panic After CPI And PPI Shock— 'Better In The Details'

Tanya Rawat — Thu, 14 May 2026 10:51:43 +0000

Jeff Rosenberg, senior portfolio manager at BlackRock Inc. (NYSE:BLK) said Thursday that inflation pressures may actually be nearing a peak despite recent hotter-than-expected CPI and producer inflation reports that reignited fears of further Federal Reserve tightening.

Speaking on CNBC's "Closing Bell Overtime," Rosenberg said markets may be looking beyond alarming headline inflation figures because underlying inflation measures appear more stable.

"If you look inside the data today, it was actually a little bit better in the details," Rosenberg said, pointing to softer core PCE trends and easing tariff-related inflation pressures.

His comments came after U.S. consumer inflation rose to 3.8% in April from 3.3% in March, topping economist expectations and marking the hottest CPI reading since May 2023. Producer prices also surged more than expected, with headline PPI jumping 6% year-over-year in April, the highest level since late 2022.

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Producer Inflation Shock: PPI Spikes To 6%, Fanning Fed Hike Fears (UPDATED)

Piero Cingari — Wed, 13 May 2026 13:23:46 +0000

Editor’s note: This article was updated to add details and context.

U.S. producer prices jumped the most since 2022 last month as the Strait of Hormuz energy shock continued to feed through the inflation pipeline, adding fresh concerns over the Federal Reserve’s rate outlook.

The rate of increase in the headline Producer Price Index climbed from an upwardly revised 4.3% year-over-year in March to a whopping 6% in April, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Wednesday.

The outcome largely topped economist expectations of 4.9% and marked the hottest annual PPI reading since December 2022.

On a monthly basis, wholesale prices rocketed 1.4% – the largest monthly jump since March 2022 – far surpassing both the previous 0.7% and the expected 0.5% surge.

Stripping out food and energy, core PPI accelerated from an upwardly revised 4% to 5.2%, topping the 4.3% forecast. Again it’s the highest annual rate since December 2022.

Underlying month-over-month pressures rose 1%, accelerating from the prior 1% against a 0.3% consensus.

The April PPI hot print follows Tuesday’s higher-than-expected Consumer Price Index reading of 3.8% and reinforces fears of more restrictive monetary policy ahead.

Ahead of the release, Fed interest-rate futures had priced in a nearly 50% chance of a rate hike by December 2026.

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Energy And Transportation Did The Damage

Energy did the most visible damage at the headline ...

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Will Social Security COLA Jump In 2027— And Still Not Be Enough?

Namrata Sen — Wed, 13 May 2026 09:25:36 +0000

In light of the escalating inflation and the ongoing Iran war, a significant rise in Social Security’s cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) is expected in 2027.

The Senior Citizens League now expects the 2027 Social Security COLA to rise 3.9%, up from its earlier 2.8% forecast, but warned higher Medicare, housing, utility and grocery costs could erase much of the benefit.

The group also said many seniors are struggling financially, with 57% reporting they skipped medical products or services in the past year because of costs.

Retirees on fixed incomes are being squeezed as essential expenses like healthcare, housing, utilities, and insurance keep rising faster than overall inflation, making affordability talks “even more important than ever” for seniors, said Senior Citizens League Executive Director Shannon Benton.

Benton also criticized proposals to use a chained Consumer Price Index, saying it would effectively reduce benefits by assuming retirees can lower their living standards as prices rise. “Policymakers should focus on strengthening the program in ways that protect retirees' financial security, not trying to mask benefit cuts as something else,” she added.

Meanwhile, independent Social Security and Medicare policy analyst Mary Johnson told Market Watch on Tuesday that COLA could increase by approximately ...

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