Trump handed 'historic indictment' as economy in worst shape since Eisenhower: analyst

President Donald Trump has been handed a grim reality check with a poll suggesting his administration's economy is the worst in 74 years.

Political analyst Pat Ford, during an appearance on the David Pakman Show, highlighted how the economy had sunk to its lowest point in decades under Trump's watch. A 74-year low puts the Trump economy on the same footing as Dwight D. Eisenhower's economic forecast in the early 1950s.

Ford said, "American consumers have delivered their verdict. They feel this economy under Trump is the worst in 74 years. The results are a historic indictment of the current administration."

The University of Michigan’s Consumer Sentiment Index fell to 47.6 in preliminary April 2026, a drop of 10.7% from March 2026. It is also the lowest reading in the history of the Consumer Sentiment poll. The prior record low came under Joe Biden's administration in 2022, which Ford explained was during a time when the United States had only just begun to recover from the Coronavirus pandemic.

Ford added, "There was also the start of the Russia-Ukraine war. This is immeasurably tied to Trump's decision to attack Iran because last month Trump was at 53.3, several points higher, now it's dropped 10.7%."

The results, Ford argues, put the US economy in a "more desperate light than even the 2008 financial crisis," but noted it does not mean the economy is "inherently worse" than 2008.

"It does mean that consumers feel the most dejected, that they feel the least confident this time since 1952. I think it is important to point out, especially because this has to do with how the public is feeling and we're only seven or so months away from the 2026 midterms, and people are going to be voting with their wallets.

"They're going to be voting based on how the economy is doing. And if Americans are saying that the economy is worse at this point than it has been at any point over the last 74 years, that's not going to be good for Trump, and that's not going to be good for Republicans. So you better believe that this economic sentiment is going to show up in the midterm elections."