Nearly half of Americans say their financial security is getting worse under Donald Trump, according to a new poll commissioned by The Guardian. Only one in five say things are improving.

And here’s the kicker: 57% of respondents believe the U.S. economy is currently in a recession.

THE DETAILS: The polling data arrives alongside some genuinely alarming corporate numbers. U.S. corporate bankruptcies surged in 2025 to levels not seen since 2010, with at least 717 companies filing through November—a 14% increase over last year.

So while Trump continues to insist he’s the greatest economic mind of our generation, businesses are folding at rates we haven’t seen in 15 years.

OF COURSE: Rather than take any responsibility for the economic pain Americans are experiencing, Trump is doing what Trump does—blaming someone else. On Monday, he called Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell a “fool” and said, “I’d love to fire him.” (SURPRISE.)

Never mind that Trump himself appointed Powell during his first term. The man has never met a problem he couldn’t blame on someone else.

WHY IT MATTERS: This disconnect between Trump’s rhetoric and economic reality matters because it shapes policy.

When nearly half the country is feeling financially squeezed and the president’s response is to attack the Fed chair rather than address, say, corporate consolidation or wage stagnation, nothing changes. The people at the top keep doing fine while everyone else watches their purchasing power erode.

BOTTOM LINE: The numbers don’t lie, even when politicians do. Americans are feeling the squeeze, corporations are collapsing at alarming rates, and the administration’s response is to point fingers at the Federal Reserve.

If you’re wondering whether your financial anxiety is justified—the data suggests it absolutely is.