President Donald Trump took heat over the economy and “very, very, very high” prices from a panel of voters who appeared on Fox News on Monday.
Host Harris Faulkner spoke to eight voters—three Republicans, three Democrats, and two independents—about the upcoming midterms on a segment of The Faulkner Focus.
A common frustration among the voters centered on Trump’s struggle to make good on his campaign promises to “end inflation” and ease the cost of living.
When asked why she was hesitant to vote in November, independent Mary Josephine said Trump hasn’t delivered the “change” she expected.
“Well, honestly, what has been holding me back is I feel like the change that I was expecting from the president himself, I don’t feel in my everyday life, which is concerning to me,” Josephine told Faulkner. “I still feel, obviously, that, you know, prices are very, very, very high. You know, if you’re going to the grocery store or just in general, because inflation still exists.”
Trump has struggled to realize his promised “Golden Age” economy, with inflation hovering at 3.3 percent year-over-year, higher than when he entered office.
Josephine noted that sky-high gas prices due to the president’s war with Iran “really hurt... everyday people in their pocket.”
“I’ve voted my entire life. And the frustration right now is, it’s just unbelievable, because what really changes?” she added. “I just feel like we’re kind of just, you know, kind of steering the ship in the same direction.”
Faulkner noted that an April Gallup poll showed economic issues are the dominant concern among voters, before moving on to David, a Republican, who said the “focus” on important issues has been “off.”
“Yeah, I think it comes down to priorities. People want to see the messaging, the laws, and everything that comes with it reflect the voters’ concerns, whether it’s housing, healthcare,” he told Faulkner. “They want a laser-like focus so they can feel like they’re getting some relief or there’s an attempt to get some relief.”
“So I feel like the focus has been off,” he added.
A second independent voter, Dominic, complained that “both sides are taking more extreme views each election,” before listing what he described as Trump’s “wins and losses so far.”
“I think for me, you know, two of the wins might be immigration and maybe homeland security,” he said. “But a big loss for him is the economy, and inflation, and the cost of living, which has been a common theme here across Republicans and Democrats.”
“The cost of living is just too expensive. It’s just too expensive to live, and everyone here is feeling it,” he continued.
When reached for comment, White House spokesperson Kush Desai acknowledged “short term disruptions” as a result of the Iran war but said the outlook will improve once “the Iranian terror threat is neutralized.”
“President Trump was resoundingly re-elected to the White House precisely because he understood how Americans were left behind by Joe Biden’s economic disaster, and restoring prosperity for everyday Americans has accordingly been a Day One priority for this Administration,” Desai said in a statement.
“While the President has been clear about short term disruptions as a result of Operation Epic Fury, the Administration is focused on the proven Trump agenda of tax cuts, deregulation, and energy abundance to keep America on a solid economic trajectory. Once the Iranian terror threat is neutralized, Americans will again see gas prices plummet, real wages grow, inflation cool, and trillions in investments pour in.”
The panel’s views largely reflect polling on Trump’s presidency.
Trump won the 2024 presidential election pledging to rein in prices after a burst of pandemic-related inflation under his predecessor, Joe Biden. But his approval ratings on the economy have been sinking below Biden’s lowest levels.
Approval of Trump’s handling of the economy stands at just 27 percent, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted between April 24-27.
A Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll conducted from April 24-28 found that only 23 percent of Americans approve of Trump’s handling of the general cost of living.
