The Winston Group’s David Winston writes in today’s Roll Call about the White House’s renewed focus on the economy and affordability, and puts in the context of the elections earlier this month. He argues there is still time for Republicans to take on these issues, and that, while tackling them won’t we quick or easy, Republicans should avoid sugarcoating them and making statements that don’t align with what voters are experiencing.
When Trump took office in January this year, the year-over-year inflation rate was 3 percent. By April, it had dropped to 2.3 percent. Since then, it has slowly ticked back up to 3 percent through September. Perhaps the most challenging number for the country has been the 8.9 percent increase in meat prices since last January.
When families are paying the price for hamburger that they used to pay for steak, there’s a problem, and there’s no sugarcoating it. The same goes for housing and health insurance. The bright spot is the price of gas, which in the long run may help deliver the lower inflation rate the president wants.
Trump can legitimately make the case that the economic policies implemented by the Biden administration and the Democratic Congress delivered the worst inflation in 40 years, and digging out of their economic hole will take time. But it will also take a more sustained focus by the White House on the steps they are taking to address the problem, especially for independents, who shifted dramatically in this year’s elections.
Read the full piece here.
