The Daily Signal Presents "Problematic Women" - GIRL MATH: Shoppers Aren't Buying Trump Economy Panic

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News, Government, Politics, Daily News

4.6 • 1.2K Ratings

🗓️ 30 November 2025

⏱️ 35 minutes

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Summary

Americans have a glum view of the economy, but that is not expected to affect their consumer spending as holiday shopping kicks off. According to a recent Fox News survey, 76% of Americans have a negative view of the economy. At the end of President Joe Biden’s term, this number was 70%. Yet while Americans appear to be losing faith in the vitality of the U.S. economy, they don’t plan on slowing their own holiday shopping habits. The International Council of Shopping Centers reports that between Thanksgiving Day and Cyber Monday, 235 million American adults are expected to spend $127 billion, for an average of $542 a person—a $13 increase from the average spent over the long holiday weekend last year. Millennials are projected to be the biggest spenders, with the International Council of Shopping Center estimating the generation born between 1981 and 1996 will drop an average of $764 a person during the five-day shopping period. So what’s the disconnect? Why do the same Americans who feel the economy is flooding appear to feel good enough about their personal bank account to go out and drop several hundred dollars in just a few days? Nicole Huyer, a senior research associate in The Heritage Foundation’s Thomas A. Roe Institute for Economic Policy Studies, joins this week’s edition of “Problematic Women” to discuss. Also on today’s show, we discuss spending differences between men and women. Plus, will New York City-Mayor elect Zohran Mamdani actually be able to implement his socialist wish list in the Big Apple? And if he can, what will that mean not only for New York City’s economy, but the economic health of the nation. Catch the conversation on this week’s edition of “Problematic Women.” 00:00 Welcome! 02:16 Generational Shopping Habit 11:20 Trump and Elon are Back? 19:02 Economic Long Game vs. Short Term Gains 20:28 Zohran Mamdani and NYC's Affordability Crisis 28:50 Christmas Season Begins 34:13 Final Thoughts and Farewell Connect with our hosts on socials! Elise McCue X: https://x.com/intent/user?screen_name=EliseMcCue Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elisemccueofficial/ Virginia Allen: X: https://x.com/intent/user?screen_name=Virginia_Allen5 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/virginiaallenofficial/ Morgonn McMichael: X: https://x.com/intent/user?screen_name=morgonnm Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/morgonnm/ Keep Up With The Daily Signal Sign up for our email newsletters:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.dailysignal.com/email⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe to our other shows: The Tony Kinnett Cast: ⁠https://megaphone.link/THEDAILYSIGNAL2284199939⁠ The Signal Sitdown: ⁠https://megaphone.link/THEDAILYSIGNAL2026390376⁠ Problematic Women:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠https://megaphone.link/THEDAILYSIGNAL7765680741⁠ Victor Davis Hanson: ⁠https://megaphone.link/THEDAILYSIGNAL9809784327⁠ Follow The Daily Signal: X:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠https://x.com/intent/user?screen_name=DailySignal⁠ Instagram:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.instagram.com/thedailysignal/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.facebook.com/TheDailySignalNews/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Truth Social:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://truthsocial.com/@DailySignal⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/dailysignal?sub_confirmation=1⁠ Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform and never miss an episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey everybody, welcome back to Problematic Women. Thanksgiving is over and the Christmas holiday season is upon us. I am so excited for this time of year. Truly is my favorite time of year. Virginia is dressing up for it already. We can talk about that later. When is it too early, too late to start celebrating? And because Christmas season is upon us, it's very exciting. But it's also a very stressful time for your wallet.
0:22.1	I know it is for mine.
0:23.4	And of course, the economy is like top of mind for everybody right now, especially Trump and the administration.
0:29.6	And the global conversation seems to be fixated on this ahead of midterms.
0:32.8	So thankfully, we have Nicole Hoyer, Senior Research Associate at Heritage to break this down with us,
0:38.3	Black Friday, female shopping trends, and all this and more on today's Problematic Women.
0:53.6	Welcome back to Problematic Women. I'm Elise McHugh.
0:56.0	I'm Virginia Allen and Nicole. It is such a pleasure to have you and to have your economic
1:01.0	expertise with us today.
1:02.0	Thank you so much for having me on. I'm excited to be here.
1:05.0	Well, this is fun because it's like, okay, we're having an economist on. We have to talk about this crazy Black Friday season.
1:12.1	We've just had Thanksgiving.
1:13.9	Everyone sort of like rolls onto their couch now.
1:16.6	And, I mean, it's bad.
1:17.7	It's like, okay.
1:18.4	The reality is we just have a day of thanks.
1:20.4	And then we all go spend a much of money on all the things we think we need.
1:23.7	It's a little backwards.
1:24.7	And yet here we are stimulating the economy this season.
1:28.8	That's every time I make a big purchase, I'm like, it's okay, I'm just stimulating the economy.
1:32.2	That's what I tell myself.
1:33.4	So we have lots of women who are stimulating the economy this year.
	...

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