Republicans Lose 9-Point Edge on Economy as Trump Pivots to Distraction Before Midterms
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Oct 23
Republicans Lose 9-Point Edge on Economy as Trump Pivots to Distraction Before Midterms
3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Oct 23
Summary
Less than two weeks before Election Day, a Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll showed Democrats leading Republicans on 11 of 12 tested issues, with Republicans ahead only on crime.
On the economy, Republicans swung from a 1-point lead in April to a 9-point deficit, while their 5-point advantage on immigration also flipped, leaving Democrats ahead by 2 points.
Trump and allies have responded by shifting attention rather than defending their record, reviving attacks on Democrats as extremists and promoting a widely criticized $5,000 “Trump dividend.”
That final-stretch message now extends abroad: Trump has pivoted from the Iran war to Ukraine, while JD Vance cast unrest in France as a warning about the future Democrats want for America.
The strategy comes as Trump crisscrosses battleground states and Republicans face the usual midterm headwinds, with voter concerns still centered on costs, jobs, healthcare, taxes and crime.
Beyond campaign promises, what concrete economic strategies can actually resolve the severe cost-of-living pressures currently overwhelming the public?