Joe Biden and Donald Trump 2024.
Brendan Smialowski John Cherry | Getty Images
More voters trust President Donald Trump than President Joe Biden to address America’s biggest concerns: inflation and cost of living, according to new report NBC News Poll.
In a survey of 1,000 registered voters nationwide, 52% of respondents said Mr. Trump would do a good job of addressing inflation and the cost of living, while 30% said the same would be true for Mr. Biden.
The survey was conducted from April 12 to 16, days after the release of another better-than-expected inflation report, showing consumer prices gradually rising. President Trump attacked Biden’s economic policies immediately after the data was released.
As consumer prices rise again, the Biden administration is keeping its message on inflation unchanged and focusing more attention on other aspects of the economy, such as jobs, tariffs and taxes.
Biden’s focus on these issues was evident during his tour of Pennsylvania, a key battleground state, last week.
In a speech in Pittsburgh on Wednesday, Biden strengthened his economic hawkish stance on China by announcing he supports triple tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from China.
And the day before, in Scranton, Pennsylvania, Mr. Biden focused on tax law and jobs, saying, “In recorded American history, only two presidents have left office with fewer jobs than when they took office: Herbert Hoover and, yes, Donald.” ” he said. “Herbert Hoover” Trump. ”
These speeches included Biden denouncing price gouging and “shrinkflation” (the practice of selling fewer quantities of goods for the same price), and arguing that businesses are to blame for persistently high prices and persistent inflation. This was done after months of bashing.
But as consumer prices fluctuate, Biden’s recent comments signal an effort to keep other economic issues and data top of mind with voters.
For example, Trump has slammed Biden’s economy, while the president has doubled down on his claims that the United States “has the best economy in the world.” In fact, the United States leads developed economies in key metrics such as gross domestic product and unemployment.
But voters cannot so easily turn away from their feelings about inflation and the cost of living.
Just 11% of respondents named “jobs and the economy” as the most important issue facing the country heading into November’s election. Meanwhile, 23% of respondents (the highest number) said inflation and the cost of living were their biggest problems, and a majority said Trump would be better able to address both.
Overall, the NBC poll shows Mr. Biden appears to be catching up to Mr. Trump’s lead, echoing findings from some polls. New York Times/Siena College poll earlier this month. In the head-to-head race, Trump has a 2-point lead over Biden, down from his 5-point lead in January, according to NBC’s poll. The poll has a margin of error of +/- 3.10%.
But voters’ rosy memories of Trump’s economy, consistent in early polling, continue to weigh on Biden’s momentum. Despite Mr. Biden’s efforts to refocus the conversation on other economic issues, inflation appears to remain an inevitable barrier to winning public trust.
