President Donald Trump said Thursday that prices are falling and blamed Democrats for the economic conditions his administration inherited as voter dissatisfaction over costs remains a major issue ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm elections.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
President Donald Trump made a direct appeal Thursday to Americans dissatisfied with the economy, arguing that his administration is bringing prices down while blaming former President Joe Biden and Democrats for the cost pressures confronting households ahead of the November midterm elections.
In a Truth Social post, Trump framed his administration’s economic record as an ongoing effort to reverse conditions he said contributed to his return to the White House.
“Prices are way down from what Biden and the Dumocrats left us. It’s why I won the Election, and now prices are coming down, RAPIDLY. It’s the Dumocrats’ fault, not the fault of the Republicans — But we are fixing it!” Trump wrote.
The message comes as the economy and cost of living remain significant vulnerabilities for the president in public polling. The current RealClearPolitics polling average shows 33.7% approving of Trump’s handling of the economy and 62.9% disapproving, a net rating of minus 29.2 percentage points.
A separate AP-NORC poll released Thursday found 26% of U.S. adults approved of Trump’s handling of the economy and 17% approved of his handling of the cost of living. The survey was conducted Sept. 24-28 among 2,140 adults and carried a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 2.9 percentage points.
The polling reflects a political challenge for the White House as Trump seeks to persuade voters that economic conditions are improving even though many households continue to report pressure from higher prices. AP-NORC found that about 65% of Americans said Trump’s policies bore at least some responsibility for higher-than-usual prices, while the administration has argued that it inherited inflationary pressures and other economic problems from the Biden administration.
Federal economic data present a mixed picture. Economic growth has remained positive, but inflation and energy costs continue to place pressure on consumers.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the Consumer Price Index rose 0.4% in August and was 3.4% higher than a year earlier. Food prices were 2.7% higher over the 12-month period, including a 2.2% increase for food consumed at home. Energy prices were up 16.3% from August 2025, while gasoline prices were 27.4% higher.
Those figures measure changes in the overall price level and do not mean that every product or service moved in the same direction. Some categories declined while others increased, and a slowdown in the rate of inflation does not necessarily mean prices themselves have returned to earlier levels.
At the same time, broader economic output continued to expand. The Bureau of Economic Analysis said Wednesday that real gross domestic product increased at an annual rate of 2.2% during the second quarter of 2026, an upward revision from its previous estimate. Consumer spending, investment and exports contributed to the increase. First-quarter GDP growth was revised to 2.5%.
The contrasting indicators help explain why the administration can point to continued economic expansion while voters remain concerned about affordability. Stronger output and investment do not automatically translate into lower prices at grocery stores, gas stations, housing markets or other expenses encountered by households.
Consumer sentiment has also weakened. A Conference Board survey released this week found its consumer confidence index fell to 81.9 in September, its lowest level since April 2014, as respondents continued to cite inflation, gasoline prices and other household expenses among their concerns.
Trump has increasingly emphasized his economic record as Republicans enter the final weeks before the Nov. 3 elections. The president and Vice President JD Vance have expanded their campaign travel as Republican candidates seek to mobilize voters across congressional and statewide races. Trump has argued that his tax, trade, energy and manufacturing policies will produce stronger growth and ultimately lower costs, while Democrats have focused heavily on affordability and voters’ dissatisfaction with current prices.
Thursday’s statement also reflected a broader theme in Trump’s recent public remarks: that voters should judge current economic conditions in comparison with what his administration inherited rather than solely on prices they are paying today. He has repeatedly blamed Biden-era policies for inflation and said his administration is correcting those problems.
The political stakes are heightened by the historical tendency for the president’s party to lose House seats during midterm elections. The president’s party has lost ground in 20 of the 22 midterm House elections since 1938, according to a Brookings Institution review of historical results. The two exceptions occurred in 1998 and 2002 under unusual political circumstances. That historical pattern does not determine the outcome of the 2026 races, which will be decided individually by voters across the country.
Control of Congress therefore places additional importance on Trump’s effort to improve perceptions of his economic stewardship. Republicans are defending their governing record while Democrats are attempting to make prices, household finances and the cost of living central issues in campaigns around the country.
Trump’s Thursday message sought to draw a clear distinction between the parties, portraying existing economic pressures as a legacy of Democratic governance while presenting falling prices as evidence that Republican policies are beginning to work.
The latest government figures show an economy that continues to grow but with consumer prices still increasing overall, particularly in energy. With just over a month remaining before Election Day, Trump is making the case that his economic program needs more time to take effect while voters weigh whether their own financial circumstances have improved.
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