Republicans Face Voter Backlash as Trump’s Economy Falters

WHO:

Alternet - Mike Hurst, chairman of the Mississippi Republican Party and general counsel for the Republican National Committee, said inflation was “not a chief concern for our party.”

Alternet - CNN host Boris Sanchez asked Hurst whether Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith supports renewed war with Iran.

Alternet - Hyde-Smith, a Republican from Mississippi, has supported continuing the war and voted against resolutions to end it; her opponent is Democrat Scott Colom.

Alternet - Stephen Moore, who has advised Trump on the economy, said the Iran situation has significantly affected the economy and Republicans “may pay a high price for that.”

Alternet - AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler said people are concerned both about rising costs and pay not keeping up.

Alternet - Max Boot, a military historian who has advised several Republican presidential campaigns, urged Republicans to work with Democrats to “rein in” Trump.

PBS - Voters interviewed included Misty Reeder, 48, of Easley, South Carolina; Sandra Capell, 69, of Easley; Beti Rosales, 47, of Allentown, Pennsylvania; Amy Richards, 56, of Round Rock, Texas; and Renee Blood, 57, of Round Rock.

WHAT:

Alternet - Hurst said gas prices were “a little bit higher,” but wages were higher and Americans were doing better than during Biden’s presidency.

Alternet - Sanchez said inflation was higher than when Trump took office and noted gas prices had risen during the Iran war. Hurst said gas prices were not a chief concern because the United States was becoming safer.

Alternet - Pew polling cited in the article found 35% of Americans approved of Trump’s handling of foreign policy, including the war.

Alternet - The article said inflation had outpaced wage gains and that the war had cost the average U.S. household $1,100.

Alternet - The article reported Black unemployment during Trump’s second administration ranged from 6% to 8.2%, with 8.2% the highest since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Alternet - Boot said tariffs accounted for 90% of their costs being paid by Americans through inflation; oil prices had risen 60% and diesel prices 70%. He said the Iran conflict accounted for a third of the inflation increase.

Alternet - A Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll found 75% rated economic conditions “not so good” or “poor,” compared with 34% during Trump’s 2018 midterm election; voters trusted Democrats over Republicans on the economy, 40% to 33%.

Alternet - An Economist-YouGov poll found 66% of registered voters sympathized with Ukraine and 3% with Russia; Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had 53% approval.

PBS - Filling a Ford F-150 cost about $100, up $30 from a year earlier. Consumer prices had risen faster than paychecks over the preceding 12 months, and mortgage rates had risen enough to depress home sales.

PBS - Inflation reached 9.1% in June 2022, was 3% when Trump took office, and reached 3.7% in the latest reported month. Trump said it was under 2% and “under control.”

PBS - Trump imposed double-digit tariffs on trading partners including the European Union, India, Japan, Canada and Mexico; signed broad income-tax cuts; and the government acquired stakes in several dozen private companies.

PBS - Trump promised in his 2024 campaign, “With your vote in this election, I will end inflation.” He called affordability “a con job by the Democrats.”

PBS - Reeder said rising costs had made life harder and her rent had increased by hundreds of dollars over six years. Rosales said prices had worsened and hurt her family’s Mexican restaurant; she was considering voting Democratic.

PBS - Democratic candidates Jon Ossoff, Roy Cooper and Abdul El-Sayed criticized Trump’s economic policies and the Iran war in campaign remarks or advertisements. Cait Conley challenged voters to assess the economy and criticized Republican Rep. Mike Lawler.

WHERE:

Alternet - Hyde-Smith and Colom are competing in Mississippi; the article described Mississippi as firmly Republican and said Hyde-Smith’s lead in surveys might be as narrow as three points.

PBS - Reeder and Capell were interviewed in Easley, South Carolina; Rosales’s restaurant is in Allentown, Pennsylvania; Richards and Blood were interviewed in Round Rock, Texas.

PBS - The article said high diesel prices were creating political trouble for Republicans in Iowa, Kansas, Ohio and Texas.

WHY:

Alternet - Boot attributed inflation and Trump’s unpopularity to trade wars and the Iran war, which he called “unforced errors.”

PBS - The articles attributed rising costs to tariffs and the Iran war, including higher fuel, shipping and farming costs; Democrats used voter dissatisfaction to challenge Republicans.

HOW:

Alternet - The article said the Federal Reserve raised interest rates to address inflation, contributing to higher mortgage rates.

PBS - Democrats highlighted grocery, fuel and other household costs in campaign statements and advertisements; Republicans emphasized economic strengths such as rising median incomes and a record-setting stock market.

(UPDATED October 27, 2026 02:13 UTC)

Rising prices, higher fuel costs and mortgage rates are weighing on household budgets, giving Democrats an opening to challenge Republicans over the economy and the Iran war. Republican Party chairman Mike Hurst said inflation was not a chief concern, while economic adviser Stephen Moore warned the conflict could cost Republicans politically; polling found most Americans viewed economic conditions negatively and trusted Democrats more than Republicans on the economy. Voters described rent and food costs squeezing their families and businesses, as Republicans pointed to rising incomes and a strong stock market.