Trump is ‘throwing all the rules out the window,' says Charlie Hurt
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Newsweek
8 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Parents' Approval of Trump Drops Sharply As Overall Numbers Hit New Low
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. President Donald Trump has faced a steep drop in approval from a key voting bloc—parents—as his overall approval rating has continued to fall to the lowest point of his second term. According to a new Zogby Strategies poll, Trump's support among parents has swiftly declined in recent months. In May, 64 percent of parents said they approved of Trump's job performance. That number fell to 62 percent in June and dropped sharply to just 50 percent in July—marking a 14-point total decline in two months. Support among most other demographic groups has also declined, though by smaller margins. During the same time period, Trump's overall approval rating has slipped to an all-time low. The latest Zogby poll shows just 43 percent of voters approve of his performance, while 54 percent disapprove, marking a net approval rating of -11 points. That's down from -8 net approval in June and -1 in May. President Donald Trump listens during an event to sign an executive order restarting the Presidential Fitness Test in public schools on July 31, 2025, in Washington. President Donald Trump listens during an event to sign an executive order restarting the Presidential Fitness Test in public schools on July 31, 2025, in Washington. Jacquelyn Martin/AP Economic Strain, Child Care Cuts Fuel Discontent The downturn in support from parents comes as families are dealing with economic pressures—not just from inflation and slowing job growth, but also federal cuts to family services. In May, Trump proposed slashing $163 billion in federal spending. That includes cutting 60 percent of the Office of Head Start's staff since April, closing half its regional offices and delaying essential funding for payroll and rent. According to the ACLU, those cuts have caused temporary program closures and widespread uncertainty for working families who rely on Head Start for affordable child care and early education. Head Start is a federally funded program in the United States that provides early childhood education, health, nutrition, and family support services to low-income children and their families. Meanwhile, the U.S. economy continues to see economic warning signs. Inflation rose to 2.7 percent in June, and job growth slowed sharply in July, with just 73,000 new jobs added—down from 147,000 the previous month, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The unemployment rate edged up to 4.2 percent, though it remains near historic lows. Amid the shift in economic indicators and Trump's tariff policies, the public's confidence in the president's handling of the economy and inflation is slipping. Polls have shown a steady decline in approval ratings on the issue, with more Americans saying their financial situation has worsened during his second term. In July, a YouGov/Economist poll showed that only 15 percent of respondents said they were better off than a year ago, compared to 36 percent who said they were worse off and 44 percent who said things were about the same. A month prior, those numbers were 16 percent, 34 percent, and 48 percent, respectively. Other Polls Echo Decline—but Some Show Modest Gains Like the Zogby poll, other polls have also shown Trump's approval rating sliding to lows. The latest Reuters/Ipsos poll showed that Trump's approval rating had dropped to 40 percent, with 56 percent disapproving, giving him a net approval rating of -16 points. The latest YouGov/Economist poll also showed Trump's approval rating at its lowest level yet, with 40 percent approving and 55 percent disapproving. William Hall, a political science professor, told Newsweek the decline reflects that "the honeymoon is either ending or over," and voters are taking "a more realistic view" of Trump's presidency. But other polls show slight improvements: Morning Consult has Trump at 47 percent approval, with net approval rising to -3 from -7. Newsweek's poll tracker shows a similar uptick, with his net approval at -7 (45 percent approve, 52 percent disapprove), up from -10 last week.
Politico
8 minutes ago
- Politico
Trump's favorite drug price approach is back
Driving the Day MFN FALLOUT — President Donald Trump surprised pharma CEOs on Thursday with letters demanding they acquiesce to his most-favored drug-pricing scheme (see what we did there?) by the end of September, setting up a late-summer lobbying fight for the industry. The White House said drugmakers' proposals for implementing his May executive order directing federal agencies to embrace most-favored-nation pricing — tying what the government pays for some medicines to cheaper prices fetched abroad — 'have fallen short,' your morning hosts report. If companies don't meet several demands by Sept. 29, Trump wrote, 'we will deploy every tool in our arsenal to protect American families from continued abusive drug pricing practices.' Greatest hits: The industry's two major trade groups gave strikingly similar responses to Trump's Truth Social posts — both slammed the idea of 'importing … foreign price controls' at a time when less-than-friendly nations, particularly China, try to usurp the U.S.'s dominance in drug development. 'To reduce price differentials with other countries, policymakers should rein in health care middlemen driving up costs for Americans and get foreign countries to pay their fair share for innovative medicines,' PhRMA spokesperson Alex Schriver said in a statement. A spokesperson for the Biotechnology Innovation Organization, which represents startup and established biotech firms, echoed the pharmacy benefit manager dig and also called for the administration to target entities that take advantage of a drug program for low-income patients. 'The answer is to simplify the system,' the spokesperson said in an email. Plaudits elsewhere: Unsurprisingly, the PBM lobby applauded the president's move. 'Drug companies alone set and raise drug prices and can lower the list prices at any time,' the Pharmaceutical Care Management Association said in a statement. Trump has eyed most-favored-nation pricing since his first term and has repeatedly seized on other developed countries' lower drug costs as an unfair consequence of American dominance over drug development. 'MFN will be achieved,' a person familiar with the administration's health care priorities, granted anonymity to discuss the effort candidly, said via text. 'The administration is very serious about this.' IT'S FRIDAY. WELCOME BACK TO PRESCRIPTION PULSE. What a year this week has been. Send tips to David Lim (dlim@ @davidalim or davidalim.49 on Signal) and Lauren Gardner (lgardner@ @Gardner_LM or gardnerlm.01 on Signal). MORNING MONEY: CAPITAL RISK — POLITICO's flagship financial newsletter has a new Friday edition built for the economic era we're living in: one shaped by political volatility, disruption and a wave of policy decisions with sector-wide consequences. Each week, Morning Money: Capital Risk brings sharp reporting and analysis on how political risk is moving markets and how investors are adapting. Want to know how health care regulation, tariffs, or court rulings could ripple through the economy? Start here. Eye on the FDA OPIOID RISKS — The FDA on Thursday ordered opioid manufacturers to update their labels to emphasize the risks of long-term use — a major issue for both Commissioner Marty Makary and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The drug safety communication directs manufacturers to remove the phrase 'extended treatment period' to avoid suggesting that data supports the drugs' safety and efficacy 'over an indefinitely long duration.' It also requires them to highlight on the labels that higher doses bring a greater risk of serious harm, among other clarifications. Makary focused on the medical community's role in overprescribing opioids — and recounted his own actions overlooking the painkillers' risks — in his 2024 book 'Blind Spots.' 'Today's FDA action is a long-overdue step toward restoring honesty, accountability, and transparency to a system that betrayed the American people,' Kennedy, who's in recovery from a heroin addiction, said in a statement. What's next: Drugmakers have 30 days to submit their updates to the agency. PRASAD OUT — ICYMI, your morning hosts scooped Wednesday night that President Donald Trump overruled his top health officials and ordered top vaccine regulator Vinay Prasad's ouster from the FDA. Amid all the commotion, one detail from the story should stand out to newsletter readers. 'The Trump administration is weighing splitting the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research into two bodies: one focused on vaccine regulation and one on therapeutics, according to three of the people familiar with the discussions.' Coronavirus POLL: CONFUSION OVER COVID SHOTS — A new survey by KFF shows that most Americans are confused about whether the federal government recommends Covid-19 vaccines for healthy children — and that support for Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s policy changes splits largely along party lines. Polling released today found that 47 percent of the public either doesn't 'know enough to say' whether Kennedy has shifted U.S. vaccine policy or doesn't think he has. Most adults surveyed — 59 percent — said they will either 'definitely not' or 'probably not' get the Covid shot this fall, with 6 in 10 Republicans pledging the former. Of those who plan to get vaccinated, two-thirds said they were worried about availability, and 62 percent said they're concerned about insurance coverage amid changes to how the federal government recommends who should receive which shots. AROUND THE AGENCIES HRSA FLOATS 340B REBATE PILOT — The Trump administration announced an application process Thursday for a 340B rebate model pilot program that could allow drugmakers to test a rebate program for a select group of drugs. Several drugmakers have attempted to set up rebate programs unilaterally in an attempt to cut down on what they say is abuse of a program that allows hospitals and other covered entities that serve low-income patients to buy medicines at a discount. But pharmaceutical companies have faced losses in court when challenged over the practice. Now, the Health Resources and Services Administration will explore a pilot program starting in 2026 that would be limited to drugs on the CMS Medicare drug price negotiation list. America's Essential Hospitals, which represents safety-net hospitals that use the 340B program, argued the pilot program would require paperwork and bureaucracy to administer. 'Drug manufacturers will be the only beneficiaries of this program, while hospitals will have to contend with a whole new set of administrative burdens,' AEH CEO Bruce Siegel said in a statement. PhRMA spokesperson Alex Schriver called the pilot a 'positive first step.' 'We believe it should cover all medicines and address broader program integrity concerns,' Schriver said. In Congress OMUFA MARCHES FORWARD — The Senate HELP Committee unanimously voted on Wednesday to advance legislation out of committee that would reauthorize the FDA's over-the-counter monograph drug user fee program. The House and Senate each have versions of the bill ready for floor action, but it is not clear when the legislation will advance before the Sept. 30 deadline. Pharma Moves Tara Rabin has joined Context Strategies as a senior adviser. She previously worked at the FDA as a media relations director. Mike Doustdar will become Novo Nordisk's president and CEO on Aug. 7. He's currently the drugmaker's executive vice president of international operations. Document Drawer The FDA Center for Tobacco Products' scientific advisory committee will meet on Oct. 7 to consider the renewal of modified risk granted orders issued to Philip Morris Products S.A. for five products. CMS published its fiscal 2026 final rule for the hospital inpatient prospective payment system for acute care hospitals. WHAT WE'RE READING Moderna plans to lay off 10 percent of its employees amid an effort to save money, BioPharma Dive's Delilah Alvarado reports. Merck will cut roughly 8 percent of its workforce, Endpoints News' Kyle LaHucik reports.
Bloomberg
8 minutes ago
- Bloomberg
Trump Asks Banks to Pitch Fannie, Freddie IPOs
President Trump is asking top bankers for pitches on monetizing the mortgage giants, including a major public stock offering. Bloomberg Finance Reporter Katherine Doherty joined Wall Street Beat on Bloomberg Open Interest to talk about the discussions. (Source: Bloomberg)
