KILLER CHARTS

KILLER CHARTS

Most Americans say the US economy is getting worse

Five charts to start your day

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James Eagle
Jun 10, 2026
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CHART 1 • Most Americans say the US economy is getting worse

US economic pessimism is no longer confined to Democrats. The YouGov chart captured by Paul Krugman shows 63% of US adult citizens saying the economy is getting worse, including 65% of non-MAGA Republicans.

That split is politically dangerous because it cuts through the usual partisan shortcut. MAGA Republicans remain much more upbeat, but independents and non-MAGA Republicans look closer to Democrats than to the president’s core supporters.

This chart is about perception, not a full economic diagnosis. Still, politics is built on perception. If voters feel prices, jobs and bills are deteriorating, strong official numbers will not rescue the argument by themselves.

Chart

Source: Paul Krugman

The economy poll is not just a bad mood number. It shows how little patience voters have left for official reassurance when prices, jobs and public promises feel detached from daily experience.

Paid subscribers get access to the other four charts: partisan consumer sentiment, Trump’s ballroom funding problem, young Americans’ AI anxiety and climate responsibility. Together, they show why the public mood looks less like confusion than a demand for proof.

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