Boxer: ‘It’s pretty damn dark’ for some Americans

Former Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) said Tuesday that the current state of the U.S. is “pretty damn dark” for some Americans.

“Well, you know what, for some people it’s pretty damn dark, and I’ll tell you why: they can’t afford to fill up their car, they’re losing their health insurance, millions of them. A lot of them are scared they can’t get work. So, yeah, it’s pretty dark,” Boxer told NewsNation’s Leland Vittert on “On Balance.”

Boxer’s comments come as affordability once again promises to be a campaign issue during this year’s midterm elections. Democrats also emphasized affordability last year in races in Virginia, New Jersey and New York City — and President Trump criticized then-President Biden for high costs in 2024.

According to a survey from The Associated Press-NORC Research Center released Wednesday, Trump’s economic approval rating hit 30 percent this month, an 8-point drop from March and 9-point slide from February.

Trump’s overall approval rating is sitting at 40.3 percent, and his disapproval rating is at 56.9 percent, according to a polling average from Decision Desk HQ.

Last week, Trump defended his administration’s economic policies at an event in Las Vegas as energy costs rose due to the U.S.’s conflict with Iran. The president challenged a recent report from the Labor Department featuring a 0.9-point hike in inflation in March. 

“Don’t forget, we’re having some fake inflation because of the fuel, the energy prices,” Trump said in Las Vegas.

According to AAA, the average price of a gallon of regular gas in the U.S. is currently at $4.02, up from $3.94 last month at this time and $3.17 a year ago.

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