Former President Donald Trump continues to gain momentum against President Joe Biden following their first debate last month.
According to the latest Rasmussen Reports survey, likely voters, including Independents, believe Trump will be better for the economy, especially when it comes to handling “inflation.”
The survey, shared with the Washington Examiner, found that 60 percent of Independent voters being targeted by President Joe Biden think Republicans and, presumably, Trump, will better handle inflation and the economy. That is a major finding since the survey also found that more than eight-in-10 respondents listed inflation as a “serious” problem heading into the 2024 election.
Put another way, Rasmussen reported that 84 percent of respondents said that the current inflationary period under Biden will be a big factor in their voting choices this fall.
While Biden has dismissed concerns about inflation and the economy, at one point claiming people “have the money to spend,” polls continue to show that the nation feels harmed by rising prices and blame the White House. And earlier in his presidency, Biden bragged about “Bidenomics” — a basket of economic policies adopted by him — until the phrase became an albatross around his neck and was used by Republicans to demonstrate how the policies were harming Americans’ personal finances.
A new survey from last week showed that the price of groceries has grown by 25 percent since the pandemic began, and more so if you account for “quick trips to the store,” Food & Wine reported.
The survey, conducted by Intuit Credit Karma, showed that more than a quarter of the people surveyed admitted to skipping meals for financial reasons.
“According to the survey, 28% said they are putting off paying for necessities, such as rent or other bills, to afford groceries — while 27% say they are occasionally skipping meals. Another 18% have applied for or considered applying for food stamps and other types of assistance, and 15% rely on or have considered visiting food banks for groceries,” the report said.
“Even if they haven’t taken concrete steps to manage their food bills, the survey found a wide perception that prices are going up. When asked about inflation, four-fifths of those surveyed (80%) said they’ve seen the highest price increases when shopping for groceries, followed by gasoline (51%), utility bills (39%), housing, and dining out (both 27%),” it said.
“Food insecurity is a major issue in this country as millions of Americans don’t have enough food to eat or don’t have access to healthy food,” Credit Karma consumer financial advocate Courtney Alev said.
The price hikes “have put American households in precarious situations, especially low-earning households who have families to feed.”
“Americans are still facing rising costs for other necessities such as rent and gasoline, which could be counteracting their journey toward financial stability,” the advocate said.
The price hikes “have put American households in precarious situations, especially low-earning households who have families to feed.”
“Americans are still facing rising costs for other necessities such as rent and gasoline, which could be counteracting their journey toward financial stability,” the advocate said.
Those surveyed are also taking other steps to mitigate costs. For example, 37 percent said they shop at discount grocers, and 26 percent said they purchase less healthy food because it is what they can afford.
And it is also affecting the mental health of Americans as 21 percent of those surveyed said that they were ashamed of their inability to afford groceries.
It is also tough because 53 percent said they earn too much money to be eligible for government assistance but not enough to make ends meet during the month.
“In other big-picture data, almost half of those surveyed, about 44%, said they feel financially unstable. The figure is even higher for people with household incomes of less than $50,000; about 56% said their finances felt rocky,” the report said.
“There’s plenty of data to back up the responses. Since 2020, the Federal Reserve says grocery prices have risen 25%, leaving consumers — and even President Biden — fuming over food costs. And lately, supermarkets and big box stores such as Walmart, Target, Ald, and Amazon Fresh have been scrambling to implement price cuts,” it said.
