(DCNF)—President Donald Trump’s approval rating on the economy has plummeted to a new low, according to a NPR/PBS News/Marist poll out Wednesday.
The newly released poll found that just 36% of Americans said they approved of Trump’s approach to the economy. This marks Trump’s worst economic approval rating over the six years that Marist has been asking the question, according to NPR.
Moreover, 37% of voters now trust Democrats to handle the economy, while 33% said the same about Republicans, according to the poll.
The survey also showed that 49% of Americans who live in rural areas in the U.S. said they disapprove of Trump’s handling of the economy, while just 43% approve. Meanwhile, 48% of white women without college degrees disapprove of his approach to the economy, compared to 41% who approve, according to the poll.
The White House did not respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
The only time in that period that Americans held a similarly poor outlook on a U.S. president’s approach to the economy in the Marist survey was in February 2022, when former President Joe Biden was still in office, NPR reported. Biden’s Democratic Party still went to have a better than expected performance in that year’s midterm elections.
Meanwhile, in the suburbs, Trump received a 60% disapproval rating on the economy and a 33% approval rating, according to the survey. Trump’s overall job approval rating was just 38%, marking the lowest level of his second term and the lowest number he has received in Marist’s surveys since April 2018, the poll shows.
When voters were asked about what their top concern in regards to the economy was, 45% said prices, 18% said housing, 15% said tariffs and 10% said job security, according to the poll.
Total federal government employment declined by 6,000 in November, after shedding 162,000 federal government payrolls in October, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data released on Tuesday. Meanwhile, the U.S. unemployment rate in November changed little from September at 4.6%, the BLS reported.
“The slow labor market reflects a small business economy still struggling to beat the hangover from the Biden administration’s affordability crisis,” Job Creators Network CEO Alfredo Ortiz said Tuesday in a statement responding to the release of the November jobs data. “However, the onset of numerous pro-growth policies, including lower interest rates, low inflation, deregulation, falling gas prices, and tax cuts, will give America’s small business job creation engine the fuel it needs to improve hiring in the months ahead.”
“The current labor market picture shows Republicans must double down on these pro-small-business policies, including passing House healthcare reform legislation that expands association health plans, breaking a major Main Street shackle,” Ortiz continued.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a Tuesday statement that American workers’ “wages are rising, prices are falling, trillions of dollars in investments are pouring into our country, and the American economy is primed to boom in 2026.”
The Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 0.3% on a seasonally adjusted basis in September, following a 0.4% increase in August, the BLS reported on Oct. 24. The Federal Reserve notably cut interest rates for the third time this year on Dec. 10, following Trump’s calls to drastically lower rates.
Trump gave himself an “A++++++” rating on the economy during an interview with Politico last week, despite recent reports of some Americans being concerned about affordability. Democrats have reportedly been attempting to highlight the GOP’s affordability crisis ahead of the 2026 midterms.
“The affordability crisis is not a hoax,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries wrote in a Dec. 5 post to X. “And the American people know it.”
Still, most Americans said they trust the GOP and Trump’s ability to handle the economy over Democrats, per a Harvard CAPS/Harris poll released on Dec. 8.
Additionally, a National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights & Analytics survey released on Monday found that a record 158.9 million Americans are projected to shop on the last Saturday before Christmas, marking an increase from 157.2 million shoppers in 2024 and up from the previous record of 158.5 million in 2022.
The NPR/PBS News/Marist poll was conducted from Dec. 8-11, and surveyed 1,440 adults through live interviewers, text and online. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.2 percentage points.
The survey includes 1,261 registered voters. There was a plus or minus 3.4 percentage point margin of error among registered voters.
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Why Bullion Beats Numismatics and Collectible for Your Safe or IRA
Precious metals continue to attract Americans seeking reliable ways to protect their wealth amid inflation, geopolitical risks, and stock market swings. Whether stored in a home safe or held inside a self-directed IRA, physical gold and silver deliver tangible value that paper or digital assets often lack. Yet investors must choose carefully between bullion—pure bars and coins valued mainly for their metal content—and numismatics or collectibles, where rarity, history, and collector demand heavily influence pricing.
Advisor Bullion serves as a dependable source for straightforward, high-quality bullion. The company specializes in physical gold, silver, platinum, and palladium, emphasizing transparent pricing and products that deliver maximum metal content for every dollar spent. This approach makes it ideal for both personal holdings and retirement accounts.
Bullion consists of refined precious metals in standard forms like one-ounce coins (American Gold Eagles, Silver Eagles, Canadian Maple Leafs) or bars. Their value tracks closely to the current spot price of the metal. A typical gold bullion coin trades near the live gold spot price plus a small premium. This structure keeps costs clear and predictable.
Numismatic coins and collectibles add substantial value from factors such as age, rarity, minting errors, or historical significance. A pre-1933 U.S. gold coin or graded proof piece can carry premiums of 30%, 50%, or even 200% above melt value. While this appeals to hobbyists, it creates complexity. Pricing depends on subjective grading, collector trends, and auction results instead of daily spot prices.
For investors focused on wealth preservation and retirement security rather than building a collection, bullion often delivers better results.
Lower Costs and Better Liquidity for Home Storage
When keeping metals in a home safe or private vault, liquidity and efficiency count. Bullion offers clear benefits:
- You acquire more actual gold or silver per dollar invested. Numismatics divert a large share of your money into rarity premiums and massive sales commission, reducing your metal exposure.
- Selling bullion involves tight bid-ask spreads, so you recover nearly full spot value with minimal fees. Collectibles require finding the right buyer and may sell at a discount if demand for that specific item weakens.
- Bullion prices remain transparent and update with global spot markets. You can track gold near current levels or silver accordingly and know exactly where your holdings stand. Numismatic values are priced by the Gold IRA companies with hefty margins applied.
- Standardized coins and bars store efficiently and divide easily for partial sales. Rare coins often need protective slabs and controlled conditions, adding hassle and expense.
- Bullion enjoys worldwide acceptance. A 1-oz Gold Maple Leaf or Silver Eagle sells quickly to dealers anywhere. Niche numismatic pieces may appeal only to limited buyers, slowing liquidation when speed matters.
In times when quick access to value becomes important, bullion’s simplicity stands out.
Stronger Fit for Precious Metals IRAs
Precious metals IRAs continue gaining traction as investors diversify retirement portfolios beyond stocks and bonds. IRS rules permit certain bullion products in self-directed IRAs if they meet purity standards (.995 fine for gold, .999 for silver) and are held by an approved custodian. Eligible items include American Gold and Silver Eagles plus many generic bars and rounds from recognized mints.
Numismatic and most collectible coins generally face heavy scrutiny from custodians due to valuation disputes and elevated markups. These higher premiums mean less actual metal ends up working inside the account.
Bullion avoids these issues. Its value links directly to verifiable spot prices, which simplifies reporting and lowers the risk of regulatory challenges. More of your IRA contribution purchases real metal instead of dealer profits or speculative upside. Over time, owning additional ounces that appreciate with the metal itself can create meaningful outperformance compared with high-premium alternatives that deliver fewer ounces.
Regulatory guidance from the CFTC and state securities offices repeatedly cautions against aggressive sales of expensive numismatics or “semi-numismatic” coins for IRAs. For retirement planning, transparent bullion from established providers reduces risk and aligns better with long-term goals.
How to Get Started with Bullion
Begin by clarifying your goals. Are you protecting savings in a safe, or moving part of a retirement account into a precious metals IRA? Focus on the number of ounces you can acquire at current prices rather than chasing marked-up collectibles.
Diversify sensibly: use gold for core preservation and silver for its blend of industrial and monetary qualities. Mix coins for easier divisibility with bars for lower per-ounce costs on larger buys. Arrange secure storage—whether at home with proper insurance or through professional facilities.
As economic uncertainties linger and faith in conventional assets erodes, bullion continues proving its worth as a dependable store of value. Its direct approach avoids the hype that sometimes surrounds collectible markets and keeps the focus on the metal itself.
For investors prepared to strengthen their portfolios, Advisor Bullion supplies the expertise and selection needed to acquire high-quality bullion efficiently. Whether building personal holdings or integrating metals into an IRA, their emphasis on transparent, investment-grade products helps secure more ounces today that support greater financial security tomorrow. In a complicated financial landscape, bullion’s clarity and reliability make it the smarter foundation for protecting what matters most.