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During the 2024 presidential campaign, Donald Trump’s approval ratings on the economy and inflation were among his key weapons. But just 15 months into his second term, the approval rating has plummeted so deeply and abruptly that CNN’s Harry Enten (1) thought it was a typo.
According to Enten, the “switcheroo” is staggering. Back in late 2024, Trump had a 9-point lead over his rival Vice President Kamala Harris on inflation with independent voters. In 2026, his approval rating with this cohort dropped to negative 70 percentage points – a total 79-point swing.
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“Honestly, I went through the spreadsheets because I was so concerned I somehow mistyped something,” Enten said. “My goodness gracious, you rarely ever see numbers this bad with independents, but that’s exactly where the President is on inflation.”
The ongoing war in the Middle East and its impact on fuel prices could be part of the reason why politically unaffiliated Americans are growing severely dissatisfied with the Trump economy.
Persian Gulf crisis
The price of crude oil has surged roughly 40% since the Iran war began and the Strait of Hormuz was shut, according to CNBC (2). This sharp rise in fuel costs has a knock-on impact on the rest of the economy. According to the Bank of England, (3) “Higher energy costs will also feed through indirectly to consumer prices as firms pass higher costs through their supply chains.”
But you don’t need to be a central banker to notice the link. A Quinnipiac University poll (4) found that 73% of independents blame Trump for the recent rise in gasoline prices, including 53% who blame him “a lot” and 20% who blame him “some.”
If the crisis continues or escalates, ordinary Americans could be bracing for more sticker shocks ahead.
Shield yourself from inflation
Investors and savers who’ve experienced previous waves of inflation probably recognize the value of alternative assets or hard assets that retain their value when currency weakens.
Gold, for instance, is a popular inflation hedge. Platforms like Priority Gold can help you add exposure to this precious metal, combined with the tax benefits of an IRA. The so-called Gold IRA enables investors to hold physical gold or gold-related assets in a traditional retirement account.
To learn more, you can get a free information guide that includes details on how to get up to $10,000 in free silver on qualifying purchases.
For seasoned investors with portfolios of $50K or more, you might consider diversifying your nest egg through a flat-fee self-directed retirement account.
A self-directed retirement account is a tax-advantaged individual retirement account (IRA) that lets investors allocate funds to a significantly broader range of alternative assets than typical IRAs offered by banks or brokerage firms.
While traditional IRAs limit options to stocks, bonds and mutual funds, a self-directed account allows you to invest in real estate, cryptocurrency, private businesses, precious metals and private lending.
IRA Financial gives you the freedom to invest in alternative assets like real estate, private equity, precious metals, and crypto within a self-directed retirement account. And now you can add real-time, public market investing, powered by Interactive Brokers, a trusted global brokerage.
For the first time, you can manage both traditional and alternative assets seamlessly within a single self‑directed retirement structure, all for a flat fee.
Complete the application online in minutes to open your self‑directed retirement account with stock trading access powered by Interactive Brokers.
While you can’t avoid inflation or resolve the Persian Gulf crisis, you can prepare your own finances to sail through the volatility with minimal impact.
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Article Sources
We rely only on vetted sources and credible third-party reporting. For details, see our ethics and guidelines.
YouTube (1); CNBC (2); Bank of England (3); Quinnipiac University (4)
This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.