Former US President Donald Trump is gaining traction against current President Joe Biden following their first debate last month. According to the latest Rasmussen Reports survey, likely voters, including Independents, believe that Trump will be better for the economy, especially when it comes to handling “inflation. The survey found that 60% of Independent voters being targeted by President Joe Biden think Republicans and, presumably, Trump, will better handle inflation and the economy. This is significant as more than eight-in-10 respondents listed inflation as a “serious” problem heading into the 2024 election.
Despite Biden dismissing concerns about inflation and the economy, polls continue to show that the nation feels harmed by rising prices and blame the White House. In addition, 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% since the pandemic began, with more so if you account for “quick trips to the store”, Food & Wine reported. The survey conducted by Intuit Credit Karma revealed that more than a quarter of 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 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% said they shop at discount grocers, and 26% 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% of those surveyed said that they were ashamed of their inability to afford groceries. It is also tough because 53% 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.
