Hassett on negative polling on economy: ‘I just don’t buy it’

Kevin Hassett, who heads the White House National Economic Council, publicly questioned the accuracy of recent polling that indicates widespread public pessimism about the U.S. economy. Speaking on Sunday, Hassett expressed skepticism that the polls reflect a genuine, broad-based economic mood. He framed the polling results as potentially motivated by partisan interests given their timing ahead of an election.

Hassett suggested that some pollsters may be using their surveys to portray the public as "really really depressed," and characterized that pattern as a familiar political tactic from Democrats in an election year. He said he simply did not accept the negative readings reported by those polls.

The comments represent a direct rebuttal from a senior White House economic official to public-opinion measures that could affect voters' views of the administration's economic stewardship. Hassett's remarks tie into a broader political debate over how to interpret and use polling data during campaign seasons.

The source material does not specify which polls Hassett was referring to, where he made the comments, or provide additional context or data to support or refute the polling results. No new economic statistics or alternative survey findings were offered in his remarks as reported.