Published 20 hours ago • loading... • Updated 2 hours ago
Trump Economic Adviser: 'Credit Card Spending Is Through the Roof'
Critics said the spending reflects higher prices, weaker savings and rising debt, while Gallup found 55% of Americans say their finances are getting worse.
On Wednesday, National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett told Fox Business that rising credit card spending signals a strong economy, asserting consumers are 'firing on all cylinders' while spending more on gasoline and other goods.
Americans carry $1.28 trillion in credit card debt according to the Federal Reserve, with interest rates averaging 22.3 percent; roughly 37% of Americans have less than $500 in savings and cannot cover a month of essential expenses.
Since President Donald Trump took office in January 2025, gas prices have risen roughly 45% to $4.53 per gallon today per AAA, while inflation surged to 3.3 percent in March, straining household budgets.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries wrote on X that working-class Americans are 'maxing out their credit cards to pay for groceries and gas,' while Warren Gunnels, staff director for Sen. Bernie Sanders , called the situation a 'disaster.'
Gallup polling from last month found that 55 percent of Americans believe their finances are worsening, a level of pessimism exceeding the 2008 Great Recession and the COVID-19 pandemic.