By Manzanita Miller
President Biden is attempting to run on an economic recovery message, recently touting “Bidenomics” as a victory for Americans, but polling shows voters are increasingly critical of how Biden is handling the economy.
Despite claiming to be lowering inflation, Biden’s Presidential Inflation Rate (PIR) as measured by the Winston Group shows prices have gone up 16% since he took office, a life-altering number for many Americans. However, 16% is simply an average. The costs for staple household goods are soaring even higher with eggs rising 60% in the past year while beef rose 20% since Biden took office.
According to Bureau of Labor Statistics data, neither Trump, Obama, George W. Bush or Clinton had a single month in their first terms when inflation surpassed even four percent, indicating just how destructive inflation has been under Biden.
Unfortunately for the Biden Administration, Americans aren’t buying the argument that inflation is being handled, and a growing majority say Biden is outright pursing “bad” economic policies for the country.
The latest Harvard-Harris poll shows Americans say Trump had better economic policies than Biden by a margin of 56% to 44%, and nearly a fifth of disgruntled Democrats agree Trump was better for the economy. Ninety-three percent of Republicans, two-thirds (64%) of Independents and 17% of Democrats say Trump had better economic policies.
Looking further into the groups most critical of Biden’s economic policies reveals swing voters could be a crucial voting bloc moving away from the President due to the stagnant economy and unhindered inflation.
Hispanics, a key voting block for Biden in the 2020 election, are increasingly critical of Biden’s economic policies, saying by a margin of 52% to 48% that Trump was better for the economy than Biden has been.
Another swing group, suburbanites, now say by a margin of 60% to 40% that Trump was better for the economy than Biden has been, indicating suburbanites may realign their vote in the next election.
When asked if the Biden Administration is pursuing good or bad economic policies, Americans say “bad” by a margin of 57% to 43%. Here, the numbers are even worse for Biden, with 86% of Republicans, 66% of Independents and 22% of Democrats saying they believe the Biden Administration is pursuing “bad” economic policies.
Again, swing voters agree with this sentiment, with Hispanics saying 56% to 44% they believe the Biden Administration is pursuing bad economic policies.
Suburbanites agree 63% to 38% that the Biden Administration is pursuing bad economic policies, and voters under age 34, another swing voting bloc, agree 51% to 49%.
The Democratic Party continues to prop up President Joe Biden and push him toward another four years in Washington, but the public is increasingly critical of Biden’s ability to guide the economy back to prosperity. Considering the economy and dealing with inflation remain top concerns for voters, Biden will have to do more than tout “Bidenomics” to solve the crisis.
What is more, a growing number of Americans including wide margins of Independents, Hispanics, suburbanites, and young people now believe Trump’s economic policies were better for the country.
Manzanita Miller is an associate analyst at Americans for Limited Government Foundation.
