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US inflation at 3.4% weighs on Republican midterm races
BBC News··5d ago
US inflation remains at 3.4%, outpacing wage growth, as Republicans prepare for Congressional elections on November 3. Average petrol costs have reached $4.37 a gallon, and beef prices are at a record high. A YouGov survey found 63% of respondents believe the economy is getting worse. An AP/NORC poll found 17% approve of President Donald Trump's handling of cost-of-living issues.
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What It Means For You
- Republican candidates are adjusting stump speeches to acknowledge high living costs.
- Florida gubernatorial candidate Byron Donalds is running an affordability-focused tour.
- Texas Governor Greg Abbott hosted a rural affordability roundtable on the same theme.
What's Happening
- Trump has called affordability concerns fake and a Democrat-inspired hoax.
- The AP/NORC poll found 26% approve of his overall handling of the economy.
- Echelon Insights said cost of living is the top turnout motivation among voters it asks.
Why Midterm Messaging Shifted
- Some stock indexes and low poverty rates are strong, the BBC noted, but prices remain high.
- Polls also show tariffs, immigration enforcement and the Iran conflict are unpopular.
- Donalds leaned on personal hardship stories and did not mention Trump at one church event.
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