Confidence among American consumers fell sharply in February, hitting a 29-month low, while long-run inflation expectations recorded their biggest monthly jump in 32 years, according to the latest University of Michigan consumer sentiment survey.
The data suggest that U.S. households are bracing for some uncertainty—possibly turbulence—which the Trump administration insists will be a short-lived “detox” period as tariffs and other policies take effect, and as government spending shifts to the private sector.
