The 2026 midterm campaign is heating up as President Donald Trump tours the country, emphasising his record in job creation and stock‑market gains.
He repeatedly insists that America enjoys the best economic figures of any president, dismissing critics who say the press ignores these successes.
Polls paint a different picture, with 63 per cent of respondents believing the economy is getting worse and only 17 per cent approving of the president’s handling of cost‑of‑living issues.
Republican candidates are angled between mimicking Trump’s upbeat narrative and addressing voters’ frustration over rising grocery prices and a 3.4 per cent inflation rate that outpaces wage growth.
In Florida, House Rep Byron Donalds, a key lieutenant for Trump, has shifted from glossy promises of a ‘Florida dream’ to acknowledging that high living costs are a real concern for retirees and front‑line workers.
Other GOP hopefuls are climbing a similar affordability tour, with Texas Governor Greg Abbott pledging to lower costs, and Iowa congresswoman Ashley Hinson promoting a balanced budget for the state’s taxpayers.
The GOP faces the technical difficulty of balancing public relations with policy clarity; strategists say candidates should link crime, tax and immigration successes to the everyday worry of the cost of living.
Even as the party pumps advertising into tight races, the volatile economics could swing turnout, leaving the final tally uncertain between those who see the former president’s record as a strength or a liability.
