President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance are giving voters noticeably different accounts of the economy as the midterm campaign heads into its final weeks, according to Associated Press reporting from Washington and on the campaign trail.
Trump has pushed back hard on concerns about affordability. He has called the issue a “hoax,” said he gives himself an “A+” on economics, and told a crowd in Kentucky on Saturday that the nation is “in the golden age of America.” He has also described high gas prices as “a small price to pay” for the Iran war.
Vance has taken a softer approach. During a CBS News town hall on Saturday, he said he recognized that gas prices are too high and that the administration is “working on it.” He acknowledged that some people are frustrated with the pace of progress and said the administration needs to do more.
The mixed messaging comes as Americans’ confidence in the economy fell to its lowest level in more than a decade this month. The average long-term U.S. mortgage rate reached its highest level in nearly three years, and the unemployment rate ticked up last month.
Voters interviewed by the AP in Georgia, Texas and Kansas gave mixed reactions. Some Trump supporters said he talks up the economy too much, while others said he is doing the best he can and praised his tax cuts.
