The Atlantic

Donald Trump Is Incredibly Lucky to Have This Economy

The most unpopular president in modern history presides over economic conditions that would otherwise predict strong approval for the typical commander in chief.
Source: Kevin Lamarque / Reuters

Donald Trump’s administration is besieged by investigations, his executive orders are stymied by the courts, and his legislation is blocked up in Congress. But as the political news cycle oscillates between chaos and calamity, the financial news cycle is so relentlessly positive it makes this afflicted presidency seem downright charmed.

Just about anywhere you look, economic indicators are. Consumer confidence is near its highest level this century. The share of respondents who say jobs are “plentiful” or business conditions are “good” both reached their .

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from The Atlantic

The Atlantic4 min read
Hayao Miyazaki’s Anti-war Fantasia
Once, in a windowless conference room, I got into an argument with a minor Japanese-government official about Hayao Miyazaki. This was in 2017, three years after the director had announced his latest retirement from filmmaking. His final project was
The Atlantic8 min readAmerican Government
The Most Consequential Recent First Lady
This article was featured in the One Story to Read Today newsletter. Sign up for it here. The most consequential first lady of modern times was Melania Trump. I know, I know. We are supposed to believe it was Hillary Clinton, with her unbaked cookies
The Atlantic4 min read
KitchenAid Did It Right 87 Years Ago
My KitchenAid stand mixer is older than I am. My dad bought the white-enameled machine 35 years ago, during a brief first marriage. The bits of batter crusted into its cracks could be from the pasta I made yesterday or from the bread he made then. I

Related Books & Audiobooks