The Conference Board's latest data reveal a counter-intuitive resurgence in US consumer confidence for May, arresting a quinquemestrial slide with a 12.3-point surge to 98 from April's nadir of 85.7 – a figure not witnessed since the pandemic's onset – ostensibly driven by a marginal abatement of anxieties surrounding the macroeconomic ramifications of the Trump administration's tariff policies, though short-term prognostications for income, business climate, and employment prospects remain sub-80, presaging a potential economic downturn; buoyed by the Labor Department's report of 177,000 newly generated positions in April, this ephemeral upswing belies persistent apprehensions regarding inflationary pressures and the lingering shadow of protectionist measures, notwithstanding observed upticks in projected expenditure across key sectors such as housing, automotive, and leisure.