\u201cI think affordability is the greatest con job,\u201d he added. \u201cThey look at you and they say affordability. They don\u2019t say anything else.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cost of living strains have been thrust into focus in recent local elections, with Democrats<\/a> winning races in New York, New Jersey and Virginia following campaigns that focused on the issue.<\/p>\n The party also outperformed expectations in a Tennessee special election this week after its candidate highlighted rising prices.<\/p>\n Trump\u2019s approval rating has slipped from more than 50 per cent when he retook office to 42.4 per cent, according to the latest polling average from Real Clear Politics. Voters repeatedly cite inflation<\/a> as their primary concern. <\/p>\n The political challenge around affordability<\/a> marks a stark reversal for the president, who focused on the high cost of living in last year\u2019s presidential election campaign. <\/p>\n Voter anger over rampant inflation under former president Joe Biden \u2014 it surged as high as 9 per cent during his term \u2014 proved a political asset to Trump, who vowed to \u201cimmediately bring prices down\u201d if re-elected.<\/p>\n The overall cost of some goods such as eggs and petrol has come down since the president retook office. But rising prices for other groceries, shelter and electricity helped keep inflation at 3 per cent in September, according to the latest figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics<\/a>.<\/p>\n Inflation fell during the first few months of Trump\u2019s return to the White House but, fuelled in part by his sweeping tariff regime<\/a>, it has crept back up and is now higher than it was in Biden\u2019s last full month in office.<\/p>\n![\"Line](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/https:\/\/d6c748xw2pzm8.cloudfront.net\/prod\/eb013ac0-d09b-11f0-8c63-2550f9698f44-standard.png\")
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