One week before midterm elections that will serve as a referendum on President Donald Trump's second term, voters say they are struggling with higher costs for fuel, groceries and housing. Filling up a basic Ford F-150 truck now costs about $100, up $30 from a year ago, while mortgage rates have jumped to levels that have depressed home sales. For the past 12 months, consumer prices have risen faster than paychecks, making the average family poorer.
Trump insists the country has entered an economic "golden age" and dismisses affordability concerns as "a con job by the Democrats," saying the word "doesn't mean anything to anybody." He vows that interest rates and oil prices will plunge once the war with Iran — which he started — comes to an end. But voters blame the president's aggressive tariff policies and the ongoing, unpopular war with Iran for higher costs.
Record-high diesel prices have driven up shipping and farming costs, creating trouble for Republicans in typically conservative states such as Iowa, Kansas, Ohio and Texas, where Democrats appear uniquely competitive. AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler said, "The costs of things are absolutely the first thing people talk about, but also it's their pay not keeping up with the cost. It's a double whammy."
Stephen Moore, who has previously advised the president on the economy, said, "People hate paying more money for gas, and the prices have gone up a lot. It's frustrating because Trump's done so many good things for the economy. But with the Iran situation, that's really had a big effect on the economy, and Republicans may pay a high price for that."
In Easley, South Carolina, voter Misty Reeder, 48, said she picked all Democrats on her ballot. "I've noticed that things have been getting a lot harder," said Reeder, who receives disability payments. "Something's gotta give. It's like a dam — the pressure's too much, and it's going to break." Sandra Capell, 69, who voted Republican, said, "I think everybody is kind of suffering when it comes to groceries, gas, everything really. I'm looking at the Republican Party to jump on the wagon, get in the saddle and let's bring it back."
Sources: Las Vegas Review-Journal
Original reporting: Las Vegas Review-Journal →
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