Is 2026 shaping up to the summer of slimming down? Not Ozempic-style, more in the size of our wallets ... A new study says Americans are cutting back on virtually everything as prices rise.
44 percent of Americans in a new study say they're driving less due to high gas prices, while 42 percent have cut household expenses, and 34 percent have changed travel or vacation plans.
The news about people cutting back from a new ABC News/Washington Post/IPSOS survey, which also found dire numbers for President Donald Trump on the economy, trust, inflation and many other markers.
Overall, more than two-thirds of survey respondents said they were unhappy.
"(Trump's) lowest rating is on perceptions of his handling of the general cost of living in the country, with a 76% disapproval and 23% approval," the poll found. "Following that are perceptions of Trump's handling of inflation, of which 72% disapprove and 27% approve."
This comes as the national average gas price hit $4.43 per gallon, with spikes even higher on the coasts and a potential for further increases in the coming weeks as summer driving season gets underway.
Gas prices currently sit at a four-year high, and experts warn with that comes higher fuel costs for transporting goods and for farmers who are readying for planting season. And that's all to say, prices may go even higher for everything from clothes to food.
As Americans consider the affordability gap, their affection for President Donald Trump is dimming. The poll found Trump's approval rating has dipped to 37%, the lowest of this presidential term, and his 62% disapproval rating is a record high over both presidential terms.
"About three-quarters of Americans disapprove of how Trump is handling the cost of living in the U.S. (76%) with just about a quarter approving (23%). Nearly as many disapprove of how he's handling inflation (72%), up from 65% who disapproved in February. Under 3 in 10 approve of how Trump is handling inflation," the ABC News/Washington Post/ Ipsos poll found.
White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers argued that President Trump has brought oil and gas prices down to multiyear lows and expects prices to drop as traffic in the Strait of Hormuz normalizes.
Despite Trump's claims of resolving hostilities with Iran, he also indicated the possibility of ordering new strikes if they were to "misbehave," stating, "If they misbehave, if they do something bad ... right now we'll see. But it's a possibility that could happen."
