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US consumer sentiment plunges over tariff and inflation fears
CNN
Inflation is picking up again and President Donald Trump said this week it’s all his predecessor’s fault. But no matter who Trump blames for inflation, America’s economic mood is now souring — and Trump is getting the heat for it.
Inflation is picking up again and President Donald Trump said this week it’s all his predecessor’s fault. But no matter who Trump blames for inflation, America’s economic mood is now souring — and Trump is getting the heat for it. The University of Michigan’s latest survey, released Friday, showed that US consumer sentiment declined in February for the second consecutive month, according to a final reading, down by a steep 10% from January. That was double the decline initially reported earlier this month. It’s a stunning about-face after American consumers and businesses grew hopeful (briefly) about the economy’s future following Trump’s election in November. The latest decline in consumer sentiment was driven by worries over Trump’s tariffs potentially jacking up prices. A new CNN poll released Thursday similarly showed pessimism on the rise because of prices: Nearly two thirds of US adults nationwide, 62%, said they feel Trump’s isn’t doing enough to address inflation. The Michigan survey showed that Americans are now fearful of higher inflation on the horizon. On the campaign trail, Trump promised to “bring down prices, starting on Day One.” Clearly, that didn’t happen. In January, consumer prices climbed at the fastest monthly pace since August 2023, increasing 0.5% from December. Joanne Hsu, the Michigan survey’s director, said in a release that the broad decline was “in large part due to fears that tariff-induced price increases are imminent.”
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Trump says DOGE could return 20% of its savings directly to taxpayers. That could reignite inflation
President Donald Trump said he is considering a plan that would give 20% of savings identified by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) back to Americans, potentially complicating the country’s ongoing battle with elevated inflation.
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President Donald Trump’s administration wants to roll back virtually all of former President Joe Biden’s policies. So it may come as a surprise that the Trump administration is keeping a key Biden framework designed to rein in Corporate America. federal regulators’ stricter guidelines around policing major corporate mergers.