Polling shows that Americans remain understandably frustrated by an economy that has stolen their prosperity and sapped their spirits, especially citizens of modest means. Of course, that very frustration largely propelled President Donald Trump back into office for a second term, with a national-mandate win that rejected the managed decline of Bidenomics and yearns for a return to MAGAnomics prosperity.
Concurrently, that restlessness creates risks for the new administration, which needs to deliver substantive accomplishments, and quickly. Moreover, the Trump economic plan and all attendant achievements must be delivered via the most effective messaging possible, to convince a naturally weary and skeptical citizenry.
Thankfully, this national survey of over 1,700 voters reveals that those hard-working citizens now prefer Trump’s GOP as the “party of workers” over the Democrats, a tectonic shift vs. the political alignments of the past. Those voters also prioritize the economy, by a massive margin. When asked to name the two most important agenda items for the new White House, inflation is far and away the top issue, named by 58% of respondents, with reducing taxes second at 27% and immigration/border control third at 26%.
This poll was conducted by TIPP Insights for the League of American Workers and used a sample universe that broke down by Trump +2 points over Harris for the 2024 vote choice. It found voters look back with material derision at the Biden presidency, giving him a job approval/disapproval ratio of only 37/53% overall, with a scant 28% of independents approving of Biden’s performance in his single term.
Still, the numbers also reveal real potential pitfalls for the current Congress and administration. For example, voters were asked about high food prices: “If grocery prices stay the same or rise into summer, who would you hold responsible?” In response, 45% would blame Trump, 26% Biden, and 19% would blame both, with 10% unsure.
These data points should not produce alarm, of course, but rather a steely focus on the task ahead. The primary and foundational goal of the new White House must reach for a golden era of broadly dispersed Main Street success, combined with a laser-focused communication machine to sell that agenda and then celebrate the wins.
So, given these realities, and cognizant of the overall grim mood of the people after four years of Biden’s madness on immigration and inflation, what are the tangible steps toward healing the economic wounds and lifting the national spirit?
First, serious, dispassionate economic addresses from President Trump and all other pertinent senior officials make sense. Lay out the fact-based reasons why the economic handoff from Joe Biden was so troublesome. Specifically, use kitchen-table metrics like housing affordability, which hit the worst levels ever under Biden, per Goldman Sachs.
Once that baseline is established, move on to the forward plan: Trump did not make this mess, but he is the perfect entrepreneur president to fix it. How do we rebuild buying power and restore spirits?
First, convey to the people in plain terms that the transition from mass offshoring and endless public sector spending can be tumultuous. In the near term, markets and some businesses resist the new model, but eventually patriotic economic populist nationalism will usher in a new age of success.
Then, on policy, insist on American sovereignty once again, in both trade and migration. As President Trump promised in his Inaugural Address, an External Revenue Service agenda has begun, and countries around the world can no longer abuse American workers with predatory trade practices that are neither fair nor reciprocal.
Whether friend or foe, the companies and nations of the world must realize that they cannot exploit our markets unjustly from abroad. But even more importantly, through abundant energy and aggressive deregulation, America can create the most attractive conditions possible for those firms to produce their wares here, in the United States, for unfettered access to the crown jewel consumer market of the world.
In addition, the workers of America must not face unjust and illegal competition in the labor market from hordes of foreigners invited into our homeland by Biden and Harris. This national poll also shows widespread support for Trump’s deportation agenda, with a massive 79% of voters approving of deportations of all illegal aliens with criminal records.
Looking internally, a foundational part of making America fertile ground for enterprise success means moving toward fiscal sanity again. With $36 trillion in outstanding bonds, and debt service costs now consuming more of the federal budget than defense or Medicare, returning to pre-COVID spending levels becomes an imperative, even if that goal must be realized in the coming months rather than immediately.
Unfortunately, far too many power brokers in Washington remain perfectly comfortable with the economic status quo, which works well for the connected Beltway cabal. But regular Americans know all too well the anxiety and pain of making ends meet, because of the very inflation that Permanent Washington fuels through profligate policies. For example, serious auto loan delinquencies just rose to an all-time high, eclipsing even the worst extremes of the 2008-09 Great Financial Crisis.
Those regular Americans elected President Trump because they remember the success they enjoyed in his first term, and they rightly believe in his ability to lift America out of Biden’s created quagmire. Now, the country needs all of Washington, from the White House to DOGE to Congress, to embrace this economic mission with the highest possible urgency.
Steve Cortes president of the League of American Workers and senior political advisor to Catholic Vote. He is a former senior advisor to President Trump and J.D. Vance, and a former commentator for Fox News and CNN.
Original article link: RealClearPolitics Cortes Investigates Substack
TIPP Takes
Geopolitics, Geoeconomics, And More
1. Trump And Putin Announce Pause On Russia-Ukraine Energy Infrastructure Strikes - Axios
President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a series of steps to work toward an eventual ceasefire in Ukraine following a two-hour call Tuesday.
However, Putin continued to signal, according to the Kremlin, that he has major reservations about the unconditional ceasefire Trump has proposed.
2. Trump Vows To Authorize Coal-Fired Power To Counter China - Bloomberg
“I am authorizing my Administration to immediately begin producing Energy with BEAUTIFUL, CLEAN COAL,” President Trump wrote in a social media post.
It’s unclear what Trump referred to or how his social media decree would affect U.S. policy. Trump has already signed an executive order declaring a national energy emergency and has directed the Environmental Protection Agency to boost fossil fuel production and distribution. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, coal accounts for about 15% of power generation in the U.S., down from more than 50% in 2000.
3. China’s Home Prices Drop For 21st Straight Month As Property Recovery Remains Elusive-SCMP
In the sole positive metric in new official data, new-home prices in top-tier cities edged up by 0.1 percent month on month in February.
Across 70 mainland cities, February new-home prices dropped 0.1 per cent month on month, the same decline recorded in January, according to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on Monday. Prices for new homes fell 5.2 per cent year on year, slightly less steep than the 5.4 per cent year-on-year drop in January.
4. Hong Kong's Leader Swipes At Trump But Avoids Criticism Of Tycoon's Deal To Sell Panama Port Assets - A.P.
Hong Kong's Chief Executive John Lee told reporters that CK Hutchison Holdings' in-principle agreement to sell its controlling stake in a company operating ports at both ends of the Panama Canal was being discussed extensively, and concerns raised about the deal deserve serious attention. He did not specify what the concerns were.
Lee avoided a direct mention of U.S. President Donald Trump and also stopped short of criticizing CK Hutchison or tycoon Li Ka-shing's family, which owns a controlling stake in the conglomerate. His comments followed a somewhat veiled backlash from Beijing.
5. Chinese Media, Hun Sen Celebrate White House Order To Close U.S.-Funded News Outlets - RFA
Representatives of closed Asian societies without free press welcomed the U.S. administration’s decision to halt broadcasts by Voice of America and freeze funding to Radio Free Asia, while democracy activists and dissidents expressed disbelief and dismay.
China’s state-backed Global Times published an editorial focusing on VOA, which it called “a lie factory” and “a thoroughly biased propaganda poison.” “The so-called beacon of freedom, VOA, has now been discarded by its own government like a dirty rag,” it said.
6. Japan Finance Minister Calls U.S. Tariffs "Regrettable" At G7 Talks - Kyodo News
Japanese Finance Minister Katsunobu Kato told reporters in Tokyo after the virtual gathering, chaired by Canada as this year's G7 host, that industrial policies, including tariffs, "should ensure predictability" and that decisions must be "based on international rules."
"Given the current global situation, the G7 will lead a free, open and rules-based international economic system," Kato said, apparently referring to U.S. President Donald Trump, who has pursued his "America First" principle to bolster the world's biggest economy.
7. French Lawmaker Calls For U.S. To Return Statue Of Liberty - UPI
A French lawmaker says the United States should return New York's Statue of Liberty because America now sides with "tyrants."
"We're going to say to the Americans who have chosen to side with the tyrants, to the Americans who fired researchers for demanding scientific freedom: 'Give us back the Statue of Liberty,'" Raphael Glucksmann, a member and founder of France's Place Publique party, said at a political party convention. He said America no longer encapsulates the values that "Lady Liberty" represents.
8. Israel Conducts 'Extensive Strikes' Against Hamas In Gaza - UPI
Israel Defense Forces conducted a wave of "extensive strikes" throughout the Gaza Strip early Tuesday as they targeted Hamas terrorists in the country's first major attack since the start of a cease-fire.
"Tonight we returned to fighting in Gaza due to Hamas' refusal to release the hostages and threats to harm IDF soldiers and Israeli communities," Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a statement. "If Hamas does not release all the hostages, the gates of hell will open in Gaza."
9. Hamas Says Netanyahu Decided To ‘Sacrifice’ Israeli Hostages By Resuming Gaza War - AFP
A top Hamas official said Israel decided to sacrifice its hostages by re-launching massive military operations in the Gaza Strip, shattering a period of relative calm since a January truce.
Benjamin “Netanyahu’s decision to resume war is a decision to sacrifice the occupation’s prisoners and impose a death sentence on them,” Hamas official Izzat al-Rishq said in a statement, adding that the Israeli premier was using the fighting as a political “lifeboat” to distract from internal crises.
10. Iran Slams ‘Belligerent’ Remarks By Trump: Letter To UN - AFP
Iran scolded President Donald Trump for making “belligerent statements” about the Islamic republic, accusing him of violating the UN Charter in a letter to the Security Council seen by AFP.
Trump and other senior U.S. officials are seeking to “unlawfully justify the U.S. acts of aggression and war crimes against Yemen,” with the remarks, Iran’s UN envoy Amir Saeid Iravani wrote. Earlier Monday, Trump said he would hold Iran directly responsible for any future attacks by Yemen’s Tehran-backed Houthis, who have targeted U.S. and other foreign ships in the Red Sea.
11. OECD Warns Of Slowing Global Growth Amid Trade Tensions - D.W.
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) said global growth is expected to slow due to "trade barriers" and "increased geopolitical and policy uncertainty. "
Growth is projected to slow to 3.1% in 2025 and 3.0% in 2026, with the Paris-based policy forum lowering its projections from 3.3% for both this year and next. The OECD said U.S. growth would slow to 2.2% this year, before falling to 1.6% in 2026. China's growth is forecast to drop from 4.8% this year to 4.4% in 2026.
12. Rwanda Severs Ties With Belgium Over 'Neo-Colonial Delusions' - BBC
Rwanda has cut diplomatic ties with Belgium, saying it has been "consistently undermined" by the European nation during the ongoing conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Brussels has been leading calls for European nations to sanction Rwanda over its support for the M23, a rebel group at the centre of DR Congo's crisis. The authorities in Kigali, Rwanda's capital, have given Belgian diplomats 48 hours to leave the country.
13. Tesla Is Done In Germany: 94% Say They Won’t Buy A Tesla Car-Electrek
A survey of over 100,000 Germans revealed that 94% won’t buy a Tesla vehicle. It doesn’t bode well for the automaker, whose sales had already been falling off a cliff in the important European market.
In 2024, Tesla saw a 41% reduction in sales in Germany compared to 2023 despite EV sales surging 27% during the year.
This has already raised red flags about Tesla’s future in Germany, but it is nothing compared to Tesla’s performance so far in 2025.
14. EU To Look Into RFE/RL Funding As Europe Slams Cuts - RFE/RL
The European Union is investigating the possible support of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty after the U.S. government cut the broadcaster's funding, sparking concern over the silencing of pro-democracy media.
At the initiative of the Czech Republic, a meeting of foreign ministers from the bloc's 27 members in Brussels addressed the issue with the future of RFE/RL unclear due to the cutting of its Congress-approved funding by the administration of President Donald Trump over the weekend.
15. Brazil: Bolsonaro And Supporters Rally Against Coup Charges - D.W.
Thousands of supporters of Brazil's former President Jair Bolsonaro rallied at Brazil's famous Copacabana Beach to protest the charges the right-wing populist leader faces for an alleged coup attempt.
Bolsonaro and his close allies joined the protest, which also called for Congress to grant amnesty to those in jail for their roles in the January 8, 2023 riot, when the controversial leader's supporters stormed government buildings in the capital Brasilia, demanding the military oust the incoming President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva who defeated Bolsonaro in the 2022 election.
16. Documents Related To Question Over Prince Harry's Immigration Files To Be Released - CBS News
Some court documents related to a freedom of information request to access Prince Harry's U.S. immigration files must be made public by the end of the day on Tuesday, under an order issued by a Washington D.C. district court, after the conservative Heritage Foundation alleged that the British royal may have concealed past drug use when he applied for his visa.
Harry currently lives in California with his wife, Meghan, and their children.
17. Trump Slump Could Extend To Year's End. But These Sectors Are Outperforming. - IBD
The S&P 500 fell 6.4% in the first 50 days of President Donald Trump's new term, the worst since Barack Obama's first 50 days in 2009. Historically, the stock market tends to follow the first 50 days' performance through the end of the year.
Several sectors have emerged as success stories amid the Trump slump, or held up in spite of it. Those include metals, China stocks, insurance providers and some other financials. Insurance is the fourth-best IBD sector of 2025, up more than 7%.
18. ECB Governor Warns Trump's Pro-Crypto Policies Could Trigger Global Financial Instability - Coin/marketCap
Francois Villeroy de Galhau, Governor of the Bank of France and a key member of the European Central Bank (ECB), has warned that the U.S.’s increasing embrace of cryptocurrencies could lead to global financial instability.
In an interview, Villeroy de Galhau criticized the Trump administration’s policies, claiming they are “sowing the seeds of future upheavals.” He noted that crises often begin in the U.S. and spread worldwide, warning that by encouraging non-bank finance and crypto assets, the U.S. is jeopardizing financial stability.
19. FDA Warns Of Health Consequences Amid Rising Nitrous Oxide Use - UPI Health
Inhaling commercially available nitrous oxide canisters, commonly known as laughing gas, could lead to serious harm or death, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said in a warning issued.
The FDA said in the advisory that canisters are sold legally in major retail stores, smaller vape stores, and online. The products are sold under the following brands: Baking Bad, Cosmic Gas, Galaxy Gas, HOTWHIP, InfusionMax, MassGass, Miami Magic, and Whipit.
"Intentional misuse or inhalation of contents can lead to serious adverse health events, including death," the FDA statement reads.
