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America 451

Exclusive focus group data suggests that Americans across the political spectrum have soured on Trump’s second term—with inflation, Iran, and political dysfunction eclipsing the postelection optimism that once buoyed his supporters.

America 250
A spectator along the National Mall on July 4th, 2026. Photo: Alexi J. Rosenfeld/Getty Images
Leigh Ann Caldwell
July 6, 2026

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This past weekend, the raucous and jubilant celebrations for the country’s 250th anniversary belied a national mood that is undeniably… bleak. Between sluggish job growth, persistent inflation, elevated gas prices, a record-setting wealth gap, an aimless conflict with Iran, and a president who’s enriched himself and his family to the tune of several billion dollars over the past 17 months, unease seems to be the prevailing emotion within the American psyche.