admin
For the first time since President Donald Trump was elected, more Americans say the economy is getting worse than getting better.
A new Quinnipiac Poll shows 37% saying the economy is declining, compared with 31% who continue to see improvement. Only 30% say the economy is staying about the same, the lowest number on record.
Polls have consistently shown the economy to be Trump’s strongest suit, but the Quinnipiac poll could be a turning point. Not only are people less optimistic, but they’re blaming Trump: For the first time, more Americans say his policies are doing more harm than good, 41% to 37%.
“As trade tensions with China dominate the headlines, confidence in the economy is slipping,” said Quinnipiac pollster, Mary Snow. “And roughly four in 10 voters blame the president’s policies, saying they are hurting the economy, the highest level since Trump took office.”
The decline in economic expectations may also be a function of just how high-flying the perception of the economy still is: 61% say the economy is excellent or good, down from a high-water mark of 71% in May; 37% say it’s poor or not so good.
Still, the poll confirms other data points —like declining consumer confidence among Republicans and independents — suggesting that Trump’s fate may be tied to the economic outlook in 2020.
Quinnipiac University surveyed 1,422 registered voters nationwide from August 21 to 26, with a margin of error of 3.1 percentage points.
Meanwhile, Trump announced the official establishment of the US Space Command on Thursday, addressing what his administration believes are looming threats to the United States’s space-based infrastructure.
Speaking at a White House ceremony, Trump described space as “the next war-fighting domain” and that Space Command is essential for defending the US’s vital space interests.
“Now, those who wish to harm the United States, who seek to challenge us in the ultimate high ground of space. It’s going to be a whole different ballgame,” said Trump. “Our adversaries are weaponising earth’s orbits with new technology targeting American satellites that are critical to both battlefield operations and our way of life at home.”
The Defence Intelligence Agency in February wrote in an unclassified report that Russia and China “are developing jamming and cyberspace capabilities, directed energy weapons, on-orbit capabilities, and ground-based anti-satellite missiles that can achieve a range of reversible to non-reversible effects.”
The US’s 11th regional fighting command, Space Command or SpaceCom, will be responsible for bringing together many of the space skills and assets from all US military branches and have them work under one roof. — Al Jazeera
Online Reporter