Interesting dynamics playing out in Washington right now. Treasury Secretary Bessent recently commented that the current administration is frustrated with how mainstream media has been covering economic developments. Meanwhile, polling numbers are showing a downward trend, and Americans are still feeling the squeeze from elevated living costs.

What caught my attention is the disconnect here. On one hand, you've got official optimism about policy directions. On the other, real people are struggling with prices that haven't come down as fast as hoped. Rent, groceries, energy—all still biting into household budgets.

This matters for markets beyond just equities. When economic uncertainty rises and consumer confidence wobbles, we typically see flight-to-safety behaviors. Sometimes that means bonds, sometimes gold, and increasingly, some investors are looking at crypto as an alternative hedge against traditional system instability.

The administration's beef with media coverage also signals something: there's awareness that narrative matters. How the economy is perceived shapes spending, investment decisions, and even policy responses down the line. If sentiment continues sliding while cost pressures persist, we could see volatility ripple across all asset classes.

Keep an eye on consumer sentiment indices and inflation data in coming weeks. Those will be more telling than any official commentary about how things are "actually" going.