POLL: TRUMP NOT BOOSTED BY STRONG U.S. ECONOMY

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President Donald Trump mixed reviews for his economic stewardship despite the growth achieved during this presidency, according to a new survey by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

Nearly two-thirds describe as “good” an economy that appears to have set a record for the longest expansion in U.S. history, with decade-long growth that began under Barack Obama. More people consider the economy to be good today than people did at the start of the year.

But only 47 percent approve of Trump’s handling of the economy, even as it remains a relative strength compared with other issues.

The survey indicates that most Americans do not believe they’re personally benefiting from his trade policies. And only 17 percent said they received a tax cut, despite government and private sector figures showing that a clear majority of taxpayers owed less after the president’s tax overhaul passed in 2017.

A mere 15 percent of Americans said the president’s tariffs will help them and their family.

These doubts create a possible vulnerability as Trump highlights the economy’s solid performance in his campaign for re-election in 2020. During two nights of debates last week, almost every Democratic presidential candidate found ways to criticize the president by decrying the wealth gap.

That feeling of being left behind has energized Democrats seeking to turn out the vote next year. The tax overhaul disproportionately favored corporations and the wealthy, allowing Democrats to say the tax cuts were fundamentally unfair. — The Associated Press