We’re 7 months (statistically) into this new federal government. President Fix-It was going to make all of our lives better, lower prices, create so much success that we wouldn’t know what to do with ourselves. So, it’s only fair that we get our measuring sticks out to see how its going.

Let’s start with prices – that was the biggest complaint in the last election and while price increases were falling last November, prices were still rising. So food prices are surely doing better now – right? Well its not going well – coffee up 24%, beef up 11.9%, orange juice up 8.2%, cheddar cheese up 7.5%, chicken breasts up 2.4% – the only significant decline – eggs down 13.3% (thank goodness the avian flu is abating). Overall food inflation is growing at 2.9% over last year (vs. 2.2% yoy growth in July 2024). It is not likely to get better either. Between tariffs, immigration raid pressure on farm employment, and weather/drought (wish we had those NOAA employees and systems to track that sort of thing), prices will likely be rising more. In just July of this year, wholesale vegetable prices rose 38.9% – those price increases are coming.

But business has to be good, right? Republicans have been celebrating all of their successes and how they are helping businesses. Farmers don’t see it that way – they are losing markets and losing hope. Chinese imports of American soybeans have dropped to zero and farmers are losing money on every acre planted. John Deere is expecting to be hit with a double whammy of suffering farmers and higher tariffs on the steel and aluminum they use to manufacture their equipment. Lower sales will mean lower employment. But farming isn’t the only sector in the dumps. Business bankruptcies are at their highest pace since 2010 (you might recall the Great Recession?). But large company profits are doing just fine – and the stock market reflects that.

How about employment? Well we already know that the President doesn’t like employment statistics (having already fired the messenger at BLS). Employment growth in 2025 has been anemic – less than half a million new jobs since the new administration took over. That is less than half of what the last administration saw in the same period last year (when the public was convinced that things in the economy were going badly). With ICE raids picking up steam and more job seekers than job openings, don’t expect employment statistics to move in a positive direction in the coming months. The number of people looking for a job for more than 6 months has been rising (now accounting for more than 25% of job seekers). And when employers have their pick of employees, expect wages to level off or decline.

The thing is, none of this has anything to do with interest rates. Business aren’t going to invest when there is substantial uncertainty. Housing development continues to slump as developers see higher inputs for their builds, low demand for their high priced products, and uncertainty about their employment base.

The polls tell the story – only 37% approve of this administration’s handling of the economy. But that 37% just needs to wait a bit longer – its sure to work out for them.

And the national disgrace continues…