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A 31-year-old hairstylist said during a recent episode of Caleb Hammer’s Financial Audit podcast that she believes President Donald Trump’s return to the White House is the reason why she is $40,000 in debt. Newsweek reached out to Hammer for comment via email. Why It Matters Millions of Americans remain concerned about the state of the U.S. economy amid ongoing inflation, questions about how President Donald Trump’s tariffs will affect people’s wallets and a series of eyebrow-raising jobs reports. A new YouGov/Economist poll released Tuesday, which surveyed 1,623 adults from October 24-27, found that inflation and prices remain the top issue for Americans, followed by jobs and the economy. What To Know On his podcast, Hammer, a financial expert, audits the finances of guests who have found themselves in difficult economic situations and helps them create budgets. He disagreed with the hairstylist, identified as Lynn from Missouri, that her $40,000 in debt is “because of the last election.” Lynn explained that concerns about a recession under Trump and inflation have impacted her business. Lately, people are choosing to spend their money on groceries rather than hair appointments. She said that her boyfriend’s work in the construction industry has also come to a halt. Hammer said it has more to do with high interest rates than with any policy enacted by Trump, and described her explanation as a “cope.” He said he understands the argument that people may pull back on services like hairstyling, but that he feels she was “overexaggerating the potential impact of what things are like in this exact moment.” “This isn’t Great Recession,” he said. Hammer said that people “think the president has a lot more impact than they do.” “People get hyperpolitical and excited online,” he said. “But you know, it’s like, it’s whatever. But we’re on the same trajectory and trend that we have been in terms of job numbers added on a monthly basis. We would be almost in a very similar economic thing we’re in right now, if [former Vice President Kamala Harris] was president as well.” President Donald Trump delivers remarks in the White House on June 5, 2025. Hammer argued that personal decisions about spending and Lynn’s decision not to work at a higher-paying company had much more to do with her debt than any of Trump’s economic actions or broader economic forces. Polls do show that many other Americans remain concerned about the economy. Tuesday’s YouGov/Economist poll found that 23 percent of Americans believe inflation remains the most important political issue for them, followed by 14 percent who say jobs and the economy are the most important. It found that most Americans are unhappy with Trump’s performance on the matter—57 percent of respondents disapproved of his handling of jobs and the economy, compared to only 35 percent who approved of his approach to the issue. Sixty-one percent disapproved and 31 percent approved of Trump’s handling of inflation, the poll found. The poll had a margin of error of ±3.4 percentage points. Meanwhile, a Quinnipiac University poll found that 57 percent of Americans disapprove of the way he is handling the economy, while 38 percent gave him positive marks. The poll surveyed 1,327 registered voters from October 16 to October 20 and had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points. What People Are Saying Caleb Hammer said during the episode of Financial Audit: “When you’re actually interested in learning instead of immediately going into politics of good guy, bad guy, my team, your team, you actually get to learn things and blame things. Some food prices are down. Some food prices are up. Coffee is dramatically high. Eggs went high, have relatively come back down. Not perfectly. Meat is up. Some produce, berries are down.” President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social earlier this month: “Democrats have SHUT DOWN the United States Government right in the midst of one of the most successful Economies, including a Record Stock Market, that our Country has ever had. This has sadly affected so many programs, services, and other elements of Society that Americans rely on — And it should not have happened. I am happy to work with the Democrats on their Failed Healthcare Policies, or anything else, but first they must allow our Government to re-open. In fact, they should open our Government tonight!” What Happens Next The U.S. economy remains a key political issue the Trump administration will face going into the 2026 midterms.
