Former President Trump and Vice President Harris are battling to convince voters they should be trusted to steer the economy, as polls show the race for the White House may come down to which candidate voters believe is best for their bank accounts.
Trump has long held an advantage over Democrats on two of the most salient political issues: The economy and immigration.
But new surveys find Harris gaining fast on economic issues. A survey by the Financial Times found her taking the lead.
Harris and President Biden made a joint appearance Thursday at an event in Maryland to celebrate the newly negotiated Medicare prices for prescription drugs that the administration says will reduce costs for consumers by billions of dollars.
Harris took the podium ahead of Biden:
“Big Pharma has often inflated the price of life-saving medications, often charging many times what it costs to make, just to increase their profits.”
“We believe deeply every senior in our nation should be able to live with security, stability and dignity. And so in the United States of America, no senior should have to choose between fulfilling their prescription or paying their rent.”
This comes a day after the Biden administration celebrated a new report that found inflation is cooling.
Harris will unveil her first policy proposals as the Democratic nominee at a Friday event in North Carolina, where she’ll call for a federal ban on price gouging. The Associated Press reports Harris has honed in on high food prices as inflation plays a central role in the election.
Axios reports that Harris may be looking to distance herself from the Biden administration’s economic agenda, as the high cost-of-living has contributed to dragging Biden’s favorability ratings down. But Biden rebuffed that notion.
“She’s not going to,” Biden told reporters ahead of the Maryland rally.
Trump, who will hold a press conference this afternoon, signaled Wednesday that he intends to tie Harris to Biden’s record on the economy.
“They’re a team,” Trump said.
Speaking in Asheville, N.C., Trump laid out his vision for the economy.
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Trump doubled down on tariffs, saying he’d raise them from 10 percent to 20 percent on goods imported into the U.S.
- Trump called to eliminate taxes on Social Security benefits.
Many Republicans believe that Trump can win the election if he stays focused on the economy, rather than on racial attacks against Harris and a debate over who has bigger crowds at their rallies.
Trump seemed to jab at his advisers and GOP critics on Wednesday.
“They wanted to do a speech on the economy. A lot of people are very devastated by what’s happened with inflation and all of the other things. So we’re doing this as an intellectual speech. You’re all intellectuals today. Today, we’re doing it, and we’re doing it right now. And it’s very important. They say it’s the most important subject. I think crime is right there. I think the border is right there, personally.”
Perspectives:
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The Hill: I am a Jewish progressive. Will I vote blue?
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The New Statesman: Trump must choose between populism and Elon Musk.
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The Nation: Trump can’t let go of Biden.
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The Guardian: Harris must speak to the press.
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The Hill: Harris’s ‘Happy Days’ revival outshines Trump’s doom and gloom.
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