Rubbish Check
ABC News Business (AP wire) · 25 August 2026
source“US consumer confidence falls to lowest level in 7 months with gas stuck above $4”
R2/ 10
Lightly altered
Rubbish Rating — 1 = base fact, 10 = pure rubbish
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In short
Rubbish Talk rates ABC News' claim that "US consumer confidence falls to lowest level in 7 months with gas stuck above $4" a 2/10 because the headline accurately reflects the Conference Board's own August print of 89.4 (down from 90.2) and its own stated link to gasoline prices, though it omits that the "present situation" sub-index actually jumped.
The Verdict
Lightly altered. The headline states the base fact cleanly: the index did fall to a seven-month low, and gas has been pinned above $4 since the Iran conflict began. The only iteration away from the whole picture is that it implies a uniform decline in sentiment, when the underlying data show a sharp split, current conditions improved while future expectations soured.
What actually happened
The Conference Board 's Consumer Confidence Index decreased by 0.8 points to 89.4 in August, down from 90.2 in July. That reading came in below the Dow Jones consensus for 90.2, marking a second straight monthly slip tied to elevated gas prices linked to the Iran conflict.
Key facts
- Headline index: 89.4 in August, down from 90.2 in July, a 0.8-point decline, missing the Dow Jones consensus of 90.2.
- Present Situation Index: rose by 6.8 points to 121.2, following three months of consecutive decline, the opposite direction of the headline number.
- Expectations Index: fell by 5.8 points to 68.2, the component actually driving the headline drop.
- Historical context: readings were consistently above 100 in late 2024 and early 2025, versus 89.4 now.
- Labor read: consumers saying jobs were "plentiful" rose to 27% from 24.4% in July, but those expecting more jobs in six months fell to 14.6% from 16.4%.
- Inflation gauge context: the Fed's preferred PCE measure was up 3.7% year-over-year in June, down from May's 4.1% but up from 2.8% before the Iran war began.
What to watch for
Watch whether the Present Situation Index's rebound (up 6.8 points) holds or reverses once gas prices ease, since that would flip next month's headline entirely. Also watch the July PCE release, due the day after this survey, for whether inflation cools enough to change the "stuck above $4" framing.
About this scoreThe R-Score is Rubbish Talk's editorial opinion on how far a headline's framing sits from what the underlying facts support. It is a judgement about presentation and emphasis, not an allegation that any outlet has acted dishonestly. Every figure we rely on is linked under Receipts so you can check it yourself.
