Trump’s modest rise is tethered to something brutally simple: people finally feel a little less squeezed. Lower gas prices, bustling stores and a steadier economy don’t erase years of inflation, but they dull the anger. Trump is trying to weld that fragile relief to his own image, promising looser regulations, cheaper drugs and tax breaks that sound immediate and personal. He wants every paycheck bump, every cheaper tank of gas, to whisper his name.Democrats see the danger and are frantically reframing the story. They argue this breathing room is the delayed payoff of policies Trump is now dismantling, warning that his fixes are sugar highs with brutal crashes. With AI threatening careers and rents still suffocating families, voters are caught between fear of going backward and doubt that anyone is truly on their side. The calm feels real—but so does the storm on the hori…