Trump Falsely Claims Consumer Confidence is 'Way Up' Despite Metrics Showing Opposite

During a White House small business summit, President Trump claimed that 'Consumer confidence is way up,' directly contradicting three standard measurements of consumer satisfaction. The University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index stood at 50.8 (well below the historical average of 85.9), the Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index was at 86.9 (compared to a pre-pandemic average of 128), and aggregated public polling showed consumer pessimism near record highs. PolitiFact rated the statement as False. Trump made this claim while promoting his administration's economic policies and small business initiatives. This represents a pattern of Trump making demonstrably false claims about economic conditions to promote his policies, undermining public understanding of actual economic data and eroding trust in factual reporting.

"Consumer confidence is way up." — Statement made during White House small business summit while discussing his administration's economic achievements and policies supporting small businesses.