California’s consumer confidence rose 2% from June. The index has dropped in 7 of 9 months since Trump’s election.

But after Trump first won the White House, California consumer confidence rose 19% in the same time frame. It’s likely not the “what” but the “how” in play.

Meanwhile, California’s view of current conditions soured in July. The “present situation” slice of the confidence index was off 4% for the month and is down 16% from October.

Californians were more optimistic about finances in July, only the second monthly improvement since Donald Trump won the presidency. The Conference Board’s measurement of California’s consumer ...