According to a conducted before of next month’s midterm elections, the majority of Republicans and Democrats cited the cost of living as their top issue, with 78% of Americans blaming President Donald Trump’s policies for rising costs that are surpassing their incomes.
Trump’s pursuit of import tariffs, the war with Iran, and other measures have conflicted with his primary 2024 campaign promise to fight inflation and decrease prices “on day one,” as seen by the 57% of Republicans who indicated that expenses have been rising faster than their wages.
Quick Fact
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Main Topic | Rising living costs in the United States |
| Poll Organisers | Reuters and Ipsos |
| Poll Finding | 78% of respondents blamed Trump's policies for rising costs |
| Republican Respondents | 57% said expenses were rising faster than wages |
| Average Gasoline Price | $4.36 per gallon, according to the supplied report |
| Average Diesel Price | $6.28 per gallon, according to the supplied report |
| Consumer Spending | 63% reported dining out less, while 56% cut entertainment or streaming spending |
| Key Concerns | Food prices, fuel costs, wages and household expenses |
| Political Context | US midterm elections in November 2026 |
Rising Inflation Fuels Public Discontent With Trump
Instead, inflation has risen to the point where the US Federal Reserve has changed course and raised interest rates to stop price increases. Policymakers have blamed this on a number of factors, such as the administration’s aggressive import taxes and rising global energy costs since the start of the Iran war.
Ahead of the November 3 election that will decide control of Congress for the next two years, worries about the economy and the war have caused Trump’s public approval to drop to all-time lows and have been affecting support for his party.
Approximately 25% of Republicans disagreed with Trump’s economic policies.
Jeffrey Talley, a 65-year-old retired bank examiner from Mission Hills, Kansas, is a registered Republican. He stated that he voted for Trump in 2016 but not in 2020 or 2024. He now intends to support Democrat Adam Hamilton in the state’s surprisingly competitive Senate race.
Talley said, “I’m pretty much against all the nonsense that’s going on in the Middle East with the Iran war and pushing up the price of gasoline… that’s been very disheartening.” He sees the election as an opportunity to choose “somebody to put a check.”
'EVERYTHING HAS GONE UP'
The average price of a gallon of gasoline nationwide was $4.36 on Thursday, up from $3.11 a year earlier. Meanwhile, the price of diesel fuel was $6.28 following a record increase that may have been most noticeable in agriculture areas like Kansas.
Athena Barrett, a 41-year-old Kansan from Kansas City, stated that Trump’s performance inspired her to register to vote because “I don’t really like what the president is doing.”The expense of living, food costs, gas prices, Iran’s situation, and immigration-related issues have all increased, according to Barrett, a Hispanic.
Rising Living Costs Fuel Blame on White House
During Biden’s administration, inflation reached a 40-year high and was a major factor in Trump’s election victory in 2024.
The current 30-year mortgage rate is 7.5%, which is twice as high as what purchasers were accustomed to only six years ago.
54% of respondents, including 40% of Republicans, stated that the cost of living was a major factor in their choice to vote.
LITTLE HIT TO SPENDING
There were few indications in the poll that consumers were reducing their expenditure. 56% of respondents reported spending less on entertainment or streaming services, while 63% reported dining out less frequently.
Smaller proportions claimed to be driving less or to be behind on their expenses.
Even after taking taxes and growing prices into consideration, economic statistics does reveal that Americans are generally still generating small increases in their income. A large portion of any increase in pay is consumed by rising prices since overall hourly wage gains are expanding broadly in step with the consumer price index.
