Why Trump and Biden turned to similar strategies to soothe cost-of-living concerns – Firstpost

President Donald Trump’s struggle to curb the high cost of living is increasingly giving voters a sense of déjà vu. Like former President Joe Biden, Trump is also promising factory jobs, lower prescription drug costs and consumer relief While companies are being pressured to justify price increases and insist that inflation will soon subside.

“We’re going to get to 1.5% very soon,” Trump told reporters on Monday. “It’s all coming down to this.”

But despite repeated assurances of an impending economic boom, voters’ patience seems to be wearing thin. Voters turned sharply to Democrats in this month’s polls amid concerns over affordability, indicating that Trump’s campaign promise to quickly fix inflation has yet to materialize.

Tariff relief and longer mortgage plans struggle to reassure voters

In response to voter disappointment, Trump has offered a set of loosely defined ideas to ease financial pressures, including a $2,000 rebate to offset tariffs and extending mortgage terms from 30 to 50 years to reduce monthly payments.

On Friday, he removed tariffs on beef, coffee, tea, fruit juice, cocoa, spices, bananas, oranges, tomatoes and some fertilizers, acknowledging that tariffs could contribute to higher prices “in some cases.”

but bharat RamamurthyThe former deputy director of Biden’s National Economic Council called these measures a “gimmick” and unlikely to meaningfully reduce inflation. He said the Biden administration had already learned that voters do not respond well to arguments that policies will ultimately raise incomes or curb prices. “That argument is not relevant,” he said. “Take it from me.”

What Biden faced and what Trump inherited

Biden entered office amid a fragile economic recovery from the pandemic, as historic government spending, supply chain breakdowns and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine pushed consumer prices to a 40-year high by June 2022. The Federal Reserve raised interest rates aggressively, and Biden repeatedly tried to reassure Americans that “bidenomics is working.”

But only 36% of American adults approve of Biden’s economic management through August 2023, according to AP-NORC polling. Republicans argued that Biden’s policies have made inflation worse.

Democrats are now presenting the same arguments against Trump: that his tariffs are passed down to consumers, that canceling clean energy projects could increase long-term utility bills, and that mass deportations have driven up construction costs due to labor shortages.

Democrats resume criticism of inflation – this time against Trump

Biden senior adviser Gene Sperling pointed out that Trump inherited strong growth, a solid job market and falling inflation, but he reversed those trends. “It’s surprising how few Americans are aware of their trade policy and hold that unregulated policy responsible for changes in prices,” Sperling said.

Consumer prices were rising at an annual rate of 2.3% in April when Trump launched his tariffs, rising to 3% by September. Although inflation remains lower than the peak under Biden, the political impact appears to be comparable: November data from AP-NORC shows 67% of American adults disapprove of Trump’s performance.

Michael Strain of the American Enterprise Institute said both presidents responded similarly to inflation problems, reducing price pressures, pointing to other positive economic indicators and issuing government checks. “President Biden did not take this concern seriously in his first few months in office, and President Trump is still not taking this concern seriously,” he said.

Economic strategy relies on tax cuts, tariffs and regulatory changes

Trump officials argue that a mix of income tax cuts, tariffs on foreign investment and regulatory changes will spur factory openings and job creation. “The policies we are putting in place now are increasing supply,” Kevin said. HassettDirector of Trump’s National Economic Council.

The Federal Reserve has cut interest rates, potentially increasing the amount of money available for investment. But the central bank’s decision reflects the weak job market, and the scale of rate cuts Trump wants could risk sparking new inflation.

As expectations collide with reality, voter disappointment deepens

Economist Ryan Cummings’ research indicates that the inflation disappointment voters feel today is less about early price increases and more about unfulfilled expectations. Trump strongly signaled that he could quickly lower grocery and household costs, leaving voters increasingly frustrated amid persistent structural affordability challenges.

“When it comes to structural affordability issues, housing, child care, education and health care — Trump has pushed in the wrong direction on each,” Cummings said.

He said Trump’s best chance to reduce inflation may now depend not on policy but on luck, particularly a global bumper crop and maintaining excess oil production to ease commodity pressures.

As economic pressure increases, the blame game starts again

For now, Trump continues to defer economic criticism to Biden. In an interview with Fox News’s The Ingraham Angle on Monday, he insisted: “The problem was that Biden did it.”

But with affordability concerns dominating voter sentiment and internal polling weaknesses persist, Trump’s inflation challenge increasingly mirrors the political threats plaguing Biden — with the stakes rising as the 2026 midterms approach.

with inputs from agencies