The buck stops somewhere else: A look at Trump's tendency to avoid blame when things go awry
Trump blames Biden and other predecessors as polling shows 6 in 10 adults say his economic policies have worsened conditions.
- Shifting responsibility for ongoing challenges, Trump blames his predecessors and Republicans in Congress for significant issues currently affecting his administration as midterm pressure mounts.
- Truman famously kept a 'The Buck Stops Here' sign, but leaders like George W. Bush and Barack Obama historically accepted responsibility for specific failures in their administrations.
- Trump points to inflation that hit 9.1% in 2022 under Biden, yet his own economic approval rating fell from 40% in March 2025 to 32% in July according to Associated Press-NORC polling.
- About 6 in 10 Americans say Trump's economic policies worsened conditions, while Republican pollster Frank Luntz noted public expectations for the leader to focus on affordability.
- Trump's rhetoric has evolved from his 2016 claim that 'I alone can fix it' to asserting he 'inherited a total catastrophe,' a shift critics describe as avoiding accountability.
53 Articles
53 Articles
In American history, it's common for the president to accept responsibility for his failures and utter the definitive phrase: "I am responsible." Donald Trump has been the exception. Is the economy weak and inflation still high? It's his predecessor Joe Biden's fault, Trump maintains, even though the Democrat has been out of office for more than 18 months and despite Trump's campaign promise to solve the problem immediately.
In American history, it is common for the president to accept responsibility for his failures and utter a stoning phrase: I am responsible. Donald Trump has been the exception. Is the economy weak and inflation still high? It is the fault of his predecessor Joe Biden, says Trump, although the Democrat has been out of office for more than 18 months and even though Trump during the campaign promised to solve the problem immediately. Problems with …
Washington Top News
The buck stops somewhere else: A look at Trump’s tendency to avoid blame when things go awry
WASHINGTON (AP) — It is among the most famous phrases in presidential history: “ The buck stops here.” Except with President Donald Trump, it almost never does.
Associated Press News
The buck stops somewhere else: A look at Trump's tendency to avoid blame when things go awry
President Harry Truman famously kept a “The Buck Stops Here” sign on his White House desk. But the current president, Donald Trump, often veers from that motto of taking responsibility.
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