JD Vances disastrous economic agenda spells GOP doom

Perhaps the most telling polls of the post-election Republican debacle compare the public’s view of the economy in President Donald Trump’s first term (before COVID) and in his second.During Trump I, the president was at plus-9 on the economy, even when his personal approval number was atrocious.Today, the president is at minus-35 on the economy.Blame that gap on the influence of Vice President JD Vance.In October of 2018, Gallup’s “economic confidence poll” of American voters stood at plus-33; in October of 2026 it was at minus-44.Now, to be fair, lots of negativity was baked into polls after the Biden administration exacerbated post-COVID inflation.But that also represented a huge opportunity for a new administration.On Inauguration Day 2025, confidence in the economy stood at minus-19.Yet by December of 2025 — months before the Iran war — Americans’ confidence in the economy had dropped to minus-33.Protectionism and tariffs made the major difference.In his first administration, Trump and the Republicans implemented the kind of “Zombie Reaganism” that Vance and his populist DC Praetorian Guard — the so-called National Conservatives — detest and reject.Trump’s first-term focus was on deregulation and tax cuts, with only a few narrow and focused forays into protectionism.Subscribe to our daily Post Opinion newsletter! Please provide a valid email.

By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.Never miss a story.

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, the first big law of the Trump era, slashed corporate tax rate from 35% to 21%, lowered individual rates for everyone, nearly doubled the standard deduction, expanded the Child Tax Credit, and added a 20% pass-through deduction for small businesses.When it came to the economy, the administration was largely hands-off.Affordability was a driving reason Trump was elected in 2024.But what was the first big economic policy of Trump...