In the second quarter of 2025, the American economy is doing something the doomsayers said it couldn’t: it’s growing—and fast.

On Thursday, the Atlanta Federal Reserve hiked its GDPNow forecast for Q2 growth from 2.2% to 3.8%. That’s not a tweak. That’s a surge. And it’s backed up by what consumers are feeling. The Consumer Confidence Index jumped to 98.0 in May, up sharply from 86.0 in April. That’s the strongest gain since the pandemic years and a clear sign that the public is starting to believe in the economy again.

The backbone of this recovery is consumer spending, which makes up nearly 70% of GDP. When confidence rises, wallets open. And right now, people aren’t just optimistic, they’re earning more.

Personal income rose by 0.8% in April, nearly triple the forecast. That follows gains of 0.6% in January, 0.7% in February, and 0.5% in March. That’s four months of steady, upward wage momentum. It’s not just the markets getting stronger—it’s the working American, too.

The White House put it plainly: “Inflation is down, income is up, and the trade deficit just fell by the largest amount on record.” Say what you will about the source, but the numbers are there. And Wall Street has noticed. Investors are responding, and so are voters.

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All of this comes just as President Trump’s approval rating has been rising across multiple polls. The timing isn’t coincidence. When people feel secure in their paychecks and hopeful about the direction of the economy, public sentiment shifts. It’s not just the people; however, the Fed reported inflation has fallen to a four-year low.

Of course, the usual crowd—the pollsters who’ve had Trump at -8 or worse—will either dismiss the numbers or pretend they weren’t watching. But they’ve been wrong before. Several times, actually; especially during the Trump era. When the data and reality diverge, only one of them ends up on the scoreboard.

In politics and economics, the numbers always win out in the end. Today, they’re telling a clear story. Growth is back. Confidence is climbing. And those who bet against the American economy—or the American worker—might want to take a second look.