Donald Trump sat down for an interview with Fox News anchor Martha MacCallum, and much of the conversation revolved around the state of the economy and his dissatisfaction with Fox’s polling numbers. The former president was visibly frustrated with data showing that more than half of Americans believe the economy has gotten worse during his administration. He brushed off the figures, calling them “the worst polling I’ve ever had,” and went on to suggest that Fox News itself was partly to blame for portraying him unfairly.
Trump, now 79 years old, is facing approval ratings that look weak compared to many of his predecessors. Across 24 states, people have expressed a mostly negative view of his presidency, putting him at the bottom of the ladder when it comes to presidential approval at this stage. Even so, Trump struck a more optimistic tone in the interview, insisting that he inherited severe economic problems, including inflation, and that things have improved significantly under his leadership. He argued that inflation is now much lower, production is growing, and once newly built factories begin operations, the country will see job numbers and growth “like no one has ever seen before.”
Martha MacCallum pressed him on this point, citing data that paints a different picture. She pointed out that 52 percent of Americans feel the economy is worse off than before, unemployment is at its highest in four years, and grocery prices have surged. She asked Trump directly when Americans would actually begin to feel the benefits of the recovery he’s promising.
Trump responded by tying his optimism to the factories currently under construction, saying the turnaround will be clear once they open. He again dismissed Fox’s polling, repeating that it has always been the worst for him, and even joked about telling Rupert Murdoch, the network’s owner, to “get a new pollster” because the current one “stinks.” This criticism isn’t new; earlier this year, Trump took to Truth Social to complain that Murdoch had long promised to replace Fox’s polling team but never did. There is, however, no evidence Murdoch ever made such a commitment.
Later in the interview, Trump shifted the focus to tariffs, which he credits for spurring an industrial comeback. He claimed that auto manufacturers who had moved operations abroad to countries like Mexico, Canada, China, Japan, and Germany are now returning to the United States because of his tariff policies. According to him, the full impact of this industrial shift will become visible within the next year.
The interview highlighted the clash between Trump’s optimistic narrative about economic recovery and the polling numbers showing many Americans feel the opposite. While Trump continues to promote tariffs and new factory construction as the foundation of a coming boom, his critics and the data being reported suggest that many voters are not yet convinced.
