President Donald Trump addressed a crowd in Arizona on Wednesday, attributing rising inflation to President Joe Biden, shortly after the government reported an increase in consumer prices. Trump stated, "Whenever I have a news conference, somebody will stand up, say, ‘Mr. President, affordability,’” and added, “I said, ‘Yeah, that was caused by Biden, who gave us the highest inflation in history.’" During the rally for Republican gubernatorial nominee Rep. Andy Biggs in Bullhead City, Trump claimed, "The prices are all coming down."
Affordability has emerged as a key issue in the current election cycle, with a Pew Research Center survey conducted from September 28 to October 4 indicating that 84% of registered voters view the economy as the top voting issue, including 82% of Republican supporters.
The national average for gas prices has increased due to the ongoing conflict in Iran, currently exceeding $1 per gallon compared to the previous year. The Labor Department reported that the consumer price index rose by 3.7% in September year-over-year, with a monthly increase of 0.6%, marking the largest rise since April. Gasoline prices surged by 9.1% in September, contributing to over half of the monthly increase in consumer prices.
Trump commented on the impact of military strikes on Iran, stating, "I hated to do it, and I knew gasoline would go high, but I had no idea. I thought it was going to go much higher." He has consistently promised economic relief while also blaming his predecessor, asserting that the economy is performing well, citing the stock market reaching "an all-time high." Trump noted, "Our country is making more money than it’s ever made because of the fact that oil is so high." He expressed confidence that gas prices would decrease significantly after the conflict ends, reiterating, "Your gasoline is going to go down to even lower than it was before [the war] started."