Inflation and gas prices threaten GOP 1 week before midterms
Why it matters: Voters in battleground and usually Republican states are tying higher fuel, rent and grocery costs to Trump.
With one week until the midterm elections, rising prices are emerging as a central threat to Republicans' hold on Congress. Voters interviewed in South Carolina and analysts cited higher gasoline, rent and grocery bills, while diesel prices have pushed up shipping and farm costs in states including Iowa, Kansas, Ohio and Texas. The pressure cuts against Donald Trump's pledge to lower costs in his second term. Consumer prices have outpaced paychecks over the past year, and higher mortgage rates have cooled home sales. The economy's political fallout now risks shaping the final two years of Trump's presidency if Democrats convert frustration over affordability into wins in competitive races.