A wave of exit polls from the midterms had a common theme: Americans remain frustrated with inflation, and blamed President Trump and Republicans for persistently high prices.
Two years after Trump and the GOP rode Americans’ frustrations over inflation to unified control of government, Democrats flipped the switch on Tuesday, snatching control of both chambers of Congress after campaigning on affordability.
Nearly 9 in 10 voters said the cost of living was either a “crucial” or “major” factor in who they voted for, based on NBC News exit polling. Three-fourths of voters also told NBC News the country’s economy is “not so good” or “poor.”
Trump promised to tackle inflation in 2024, after it hit a 40-year high two years earlier. But inflation has risen above 3.5 percent this fall, as the Iran war’s spillover effects keeps fuel prices elevated.
Exit polling shows Americans are dissatisfied with Trump’s handling of the economy. Forty-four percent of voters that CBS News surveyed said their financial situation is worse than it was two years ago, while 38 percent said it was about the same and 18 percent said it was better.
“We know that pocketbook pain and pressure was a … big driver of the turnout and the enthusiasm last night,” Democratic strategist Antjuan Seawright told The Hill on Wednesday.
Seawright, a senior adviser to the Democratic National Committee, argued that the results give Democrats a chance to make a positive impact on voters’ lives in the form of legislation.
That legislation should center around issues that have “bipartisan” support from Americans, he said, including reining in Trump’s tariff authority and forcing him to wind down the Iran conflict.
“I think we have to deal with matters that impact the material well-being of everyday Americans. … Whether it’s gas, groceries [or] housing,” he said.
