Trump Adviser Dismisses 'Silly' Economic Polls, Points to Cheaper Burger
Economic adviser Kevin Hassett said his less-costly hamburger was evidence that inflation was moving "in the right direction."
White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett has dismissed the relevance of polls suggesting diminishing confidence in President Donald Trump's economic policies, asserting that real-world observations of grocery prices provide a more accurate gauge of the U.S. economy's strength. Polls conducted since the Iran war began on February 28 have indicated increasing economic pessimism among American consumers, with a recent NBC News survey showing 55 percent of respondents believing Trump's policies have hurt the economy, compared to 26 percent who think it has helped.
Similarly, a Fox News poll from September found that only 23 percent view the economy as excellent or good, while 77 percent consider it fair or poor. Hassett dismissed these polls as "silly," arguing that they undermine the perception of a "really strong economy" and that consumers are instead noticing tangible improvements, such as lower hamburger prices at grocery stores.
He cited the Federal Reserve's upward revision of third-quarter economic growth projections and a strong jobs report as evidence of this. Despite this positive outlook, Hassett also acknowledged that inflation remains elevated, with consumer prices rising 3.4 percent over the past year. He attributed frustration with the administration's handling of economic issues to partisan bias in polling methods, suggesting that Democrats are more likely to express dissatisfaction due to their opposition to Trump.
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