US President Donald Trump's State of the Union address, which he claimed was 'richer and stronger than ever' during his second term, highlighted the improving economy and state of affordability for Americans. However, many Americans are not feeling it, with 72% of Americans rating the U.S. economy as "fair" or "poor," according to a January poll by Pew Research. Consumer sentiment is down nearly 13% year-over-year as of February, according to the University of Michigan Survey of Consumers. Despite these improvements, many consumers are still feeling squeezed. Despite positive economic indicators like falling inflation, job growth, tax cuts, and stock market gains, there is an ongoing affordability crisis in America. Heather Long, chief economist at Navy Federal Credit Union, sees an "E-economy" with high earners driving economic growth while lower-income earners pulling back on lower-cost spending. Long predicts that the top 20% of earners are responsible for nearly 60% of all consumer spending, while the bottom 20% account for nearly 70% of the total GDP growth rate is below 3.6%. The White House is working on policies that would increase this year. Despite this, there are signs of distress in consumer behavior, including the personal savings rate, and the average share of disposable income Americans sock away, and a decrease in household expenses.