(NationalUSNews.com) — While the Biden administration keeps firmly assuring Americans that the economy is doing just fine, the issues of the economy and the cost of living keep polling as voter’s top concerns.
The official position on the economy is that it rose quickly throughout 2021 and 2022, after the end of lockdowns. After that, it declined and has now remained steady around three or four percent. Unfortunately for the incumbent president, a slow but steady rise in the cost of living is not reassuring to citizens struggling to afford groceries.
The challenger, former President Donald Trump, is acknowledging American’s financial concerns directly in his new fundraising ad. In the ad, he lays the blame for current financial hardship directly at Biden’s feet, referring to him as “Crooked Joe Biden.” He goes on to say that times are tough because Biden has destroyed America. Then, in a bold move for a fundraising ad, he says that people should not donate if they cannot afford it. He adds that if people can afford to donate, he would love to have their help, but that supporters who are experiencing financial strain should not feel bad that they can’t.
Biden’s campaign has raised significantly more money than the Trump side, with some saying there is no way for Trump to win with his finances lagging so far behind. However, the new Trump ad suggesting it’s Biden’s fault that Trump supporters cannot afford to donate to their chosen candidate could reframe the issue. Rather than seeing Biden’s larger bankroll as a groundswell of popular support, many are seeing it as an indication that Biden supporters are mostly rich people who have prospered while others have suffered. Polls have indicated that messaging around the rebound of the economy and even unemployment is not resonating with voters across the political spectrum.
While the wealthy and powerful may be happy with the state of the economy, middle-class and poor Americans struggle to reduce their household budgets. Food companies like PepsiCo and Kraft Heinz have directly said their sales are being affected by consumers who are consciously limiting unnecessary items like soda and cookies. Biden often discusses bags of chips and candy bars in reference to shrinkflation, but buyers are less affected by that as they can’t afford them, whether they’re a good value or not. With several key states more in question than in previous years, Trump’s sympathetic message may be better received than Biden’s more optimistic outlook.
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