Trump Failed to Stop Inflation. Now Republicans May Pay the Price in the Midterm Elections

One week before midterm elections seen as a referendum on President Donald Trump’s second term, inflation and affordability concerns are dominating voter sentiment. The article cites that filling up a basic Ford F-150 now costs about $100—$30 more than a year ago—along with higher mortgage rates that have weighed on home sales. Over the past 12 months, consumer prices have risen faster than paychecks, leaving many families feeling poorer. Trump’s campaign messaging argues the country is in an economic “golden age,” insisting rates and oil prices will fall once the Iran war he started ends. Voters in states such as Iowa, Kansas, Ohio, and Texas increasingly blame tariffs and the Iran conflict, with diesel prices particularly stressing shipping and farming. Labor leader Liz Shuler calls it a “double whammy.”