Dear john,This week, US consumer confidence reports were published, and the results are grim. While Donald Trump tells Americans to "hang tough," it appears many disagree. Take a look for yourself:"Americans’ confidence in the economy slumped for the fifth straight month to the lowest level since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic as anxiety over the impact of tariffs takes a heavy toll. The Conference Board said Tuesday that its consumer confidence index fell 7.9 points in April to 86, its lowest reading since May 2020." - AP News"The Conference Board’s consumer confidence index fell 7.9% in April to a reading of 86. While the present situation index fell only slightly by 0.9 points, the expectations index that measures how consumers feel about the future dropped 12.5 points to 54.4. That is the lowest level since October 2011 and puts sentiment well below the 80 level that usually signals an impending recession." - U.S. News"The downbeat views extended to the stock market, with 48.5% expecting lower prices in the next 12 months, the worst reading since October 2011. Inflation expectations also surged, at 7% for the next year, the highest since November 2022." - CNBC"More Americans are also now worried that the economy could tip into a recession, with the proportion of consumers expecting a downturn in the next 12 months reaching a two-year high." - PBS News