U.S. economy under pressure: Are American consumers finally breaking?

U.S. retail sales are the weakest in over a year, as consumer sentiment plunges, so are American consumers are showing signs of fatigue?

CGTN's Sean Callebs spoke with William Lee, Chief Economist and Managing Director at Global Economic Advisors, about what this latest round of data means as the economy heads into the second half of 2026.

0:00 U.S. retail sales plunge: Is the consumer breaking? 0:55 K-shaped economy: Wealthy consumers vs. paycheck-to-paycheck households 1:10 Will the Fed cut interest rates as inflation cools? 2:00 Could tariffs and policy shocks hurt the U.S. economy? 3:04 Why Americans are cutting back on cars and big purchases 3:53 Wall Street, AI and the outlook for U.S. economic growth 4:51 Inflation and the loss of financial security for families 5:20 Can lower energy prices boost consumer confidence?

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