The economy boosts Trump to his highest approval rating in 7 months

President Trump and the Republican Party are feeling the love. Seventy percent of Americans said the U.S. economy is "excellent" or "good" in the most recent Quinnipiac University survey — the highest percentage to respond that way since the question was first added to the poll in 2001, and up from 66 percent on Jan. 10. The latest survey also marked the first time Americans have said Trump is more responsible for the state of the economy than former President Barack Obama, 48 percent to 41 percent.

Trump is personally seeing the boost, too: His approval rating is the highest it's been in a Quinnipiac University poll in seven months, at 40 percent, although it's still "nowhere near that magic 50 percent mark," observed Tim Malloy, the assistant director of the poll. The GOP also boasts its highest favorability rating since Trump's inauguration:

It appears to be the GOP's tax plan that has done the trick. Trump's approval on taxes is up 10 percent from before the plan passed in December:

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"The post State of the Union bump kicks in," said Malloy. "And an attaboy on the economy doubles the pleasure for President Donald Trump." The Quinnipiac poll reached 1,333 voters between Feb. 2-5 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.3 percent. Read the full results here.