Photo illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios. Photo: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

President Trump flew to Beijing on Tuesday under some of the darkest economic clouds of his political career, leaving behind a country reeling from the cost of everyday life.

Why it matters: The bottom is falling out on Trump's economic credibility — the central promise of his return to power. The inflation crisis that doomed his predecessor suggests he may not recover.

A new CNN poll found that 70% of Americans disapprove of Trump's handling of the economy — a benchmark that never crossed 50% in his first term, even during the pandemic.

77% of Americans, including a majority of Republicans, say Trump's policies have driven up the cost of living in their own community.

Driving the news: For now, Trump appears unconcerned, convinced that renewed inflation is temporary and that gas prices will plummet once he ends the Iran war.

Asked before departing for China whether Americans' financial struggles were motivating his push for a…