Trump’s Economy: Gas Prices to GDP

Oct. 7, 2026

How has the economy fared since Donald Trump returned to the White House? You can spin it a million ways, but I’ve crunched some key numbers and found this:

• Much worse: Gas prices, job creation.

• Modestly worse: Affordability, mortgage costs, unemployment.

• Slower but not a nosedive: Gross domestic product, the economy’s most comprehensive report card.

I have the numbers in hand but have offered them first to a much larger website. I’ll post the full column here soon.

You can find the numbers yourself, too, mostly from official government sites, although there’s some math involved — spreadsheets to download, plus division, subtraction and percentages. Links to the pertinent sites will be included in the forthcoming column.

— Chuck Melvin