As Election Day looms, Vice President Kamala Harris is feeling the heat from one economic shadow that just won’t fade: inflation. While recent figures show inflation has sharply dropped to 2.4% from a painful 9% peak in 2022, Americans remain wary. A recent poll from Reuters/Ipsos reveals that over 60% of swing-state voters feel the economy is off-track, with nearly half believing Trump has a better approach to inflation.
Despite the Biden administration’s efforts to bring relief through measures like the “Inflation Reduction Act,” inflation has proven to be a hard issue to shake. Although the Act included significant subsidies for clean energy and electric vehicles, the Harris campaign has still had to tackle rising costs in housing, food, and other everyday essentials. Harris has pointed to factors like “price gouging” as part of the problem, especially with grocery costs, but the narrative hasn’t fully convinced voters. Gallup polls show that inflation remains a top concern, with 15% of voters still listing it as the nation’s most pressing issue—twice the historic average.
Trump, capitalizing on economic anxieties, has wielded inflation as a campaign weapon, vowing to lower costs through a more hands-off government approach. This strategy seems to resonate with voters frustrated by higher living costs, including housing, which hit particularly hard in 2023 and early 2024. Economic experts agree that inflation’s impact on household budgets often leaves a lingering negative impression that’s hard to dispel. “Inflation significantly complicates household decision-making,” wrote researchers in a study led by Harvard and Bocconi University, highlighting how deeply inflation impacts the public mindset.
With the economy at the forefront, Harris faces a tight battle as voters head to the polls, weighing promises against pocketbook pressures that have defined the post-pandemic landscape.
Sources for this article include: Reuters, Gallup polling data, and research findings from Harvard and Bocconi University.
