According to Gallup’s latest monthly poll, less than a fifth of Americans believe the country is heading in the right direction.
The survey results found that only 19% of Americans are optimistic about the country’s direction, the lowest level since July. This marks a sharp drop off from 2024’s peak of 26% recorded in October, largely driven by discontent among Democrats over Donald Trump’s election victory.
Broken down by party affiliation, 30% of Democrats said the U.S. is heading in the right direction, down from 47% since the election. At the same time, 9% of Republicans reported satisfaction with the country’s direction in December, up from just 5% in October.
While less than a fifth of the country is happy about its direction, this is far from the lowest level ever recorded. In October 2008, during the financial crisis, the metric showed just 7% of Americans were satisfied. On the other hand, February 1999 enjoyed the highest level of contentment, at 71%.
Among Democrats, President-elect Donald Trump was raised as a top concern, while Republicans cited immigration issues. Although unease over the state of the economy has been trending lower, both parties indicated inflation remains a problem.
Despite consumer sentiment remaining below pre-pandemic levels, it has begun to climb in recent months. The stock market has also continued to climb, enjoying strong tailwinds following Trump’s win, with the incumbent president welcomed by Wall Street.
Earlier this month, The Dallas Express reported on Trump’s appearance at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), where he said he would provide businesses willing to manufacture domestically with a “tremendous incentive.” Trump committed to helping boost domestic production using tax cuts, highlighting his past achievement in reducing corporate tax from over 40% to 21%.
As part of his new administration, Trump plans to lower the rate further to 15%, provided goods are manufactured in the United States.