DETROIT (trfnews.i234.me) – Food and housing prices are a major concern for voters in the United States ahead of the midterm elections. Despite a strong economic recovery post-COVID-19, costs have increased significantly, affecting many Americans’ daily lives.
Tiesha Blackwell, 24, voted for Joe Biden in 2020 but plans to vote for Republican former President Donald Trump this year due to rising food and housing prices. Her rent has doubled since she moved, and grocery bills have soared.
The United States’ post-COVID-19 economic recovery has been strong, with consumer spending and business investment helping the economy dodge a predicted recession. However, stock markets are at record highs, jobs and wages are growing fast, unemployment is low, but inflation remains high.
Many Americans face sticker shock due to rising prices for food, rent, utilities, and dining out. A Reuters/Ipsos poll found that 61% of voters in battleground states believe the economy is on the wrong track, with 68% saying the cost of living is also on the wrong track.
Vice President Kamala Harris has promised to fight price gouging and boost a child tax credit, while Trump has proposed cutting taxes on overtime pay, imposing blanket tariffs on imports that he says will bring manufacturing back to the U.S. and mass deportation of immigrants.
Trump’s proposed tariffs and deportation threats may drive up prices for goods and services, many economists say, while Harris’ price-gouging ban is untested on a federal level.
A Reuters poll showed Trump leading on economic issues with 46% support compared to 38% for Harris.
People who study economics feel voters’ frustration even if they don’t think Trump’s plan will help. Michael Strain said he understands inflation better than the average person but remains surprised at how upset it makes him.
Blackwell believes tariffs are needed to keep out imports and protect U.S. jobs, despite potential price increases for consumers.
Harris visited Michigan on Monday, her tenth visit since becoming the party’s nominee. The state is still scarred by job losses in the auto industry and backed Trump in 2016 but Biden won by less than three percentage points in 2020.
A FiveThirtyEight compilation of polls shows Harris with a narrow edge over Trump in Michigan.
Michigan’s unemployment rate has been consistently higher than the overall U.S. numbers for years, but federal infrastructure money flowed into the state last year, hitting its highest job level and lowest unemployment in 20 years.
Ameshia Cross said the Biden administration deserves credit for creating hundreds of thousands of new jobs in Michigan and across the country but that high living costs are still having a big impact on voters.
Devin Jones, 20, a college student who lives in Flint, Michigan, said his parents were forced to move away due to inflation.