The Globe and Mail reports in its Wednesday edition that Americans' confidence in the economy fell this month. An Associated Press dispatch to The Globe reports that the Conference Board said the consumer confidence index fell to 89.4 in August from 90.2 in July, marking a seven-month low but remaining in a similar range since the year's start. While respondents' current situation improved, their outlook for the near future worsened. Americans are frustrated with the economy after five years of high inflation, posing a risk to President Donald Trump and Republicans in the upcoming midterm elections. Write-in responses to the board's survey from Aug. 3 to Aug. 16 were more pessimistic this month, with elevated concerns about prices, particularly in oil and gas. Comments on war, geopolitics, food prices, trade and jobs increased in August. Mr. Trump blames high prices on his predecessor, Joe Biden, despite inflation rising since his inauguration last year. The Federal Reserve's preferred inflation measure, personal consumption expenditures, was 3.7 per cent in June, down from 4.1 per cent in May but up from 2.8 per cent before the Iran war on Feb. 28. It was 2.5 per cent when Trump took office in January, 2025.