Trump Whines About Harris Economy Even as Inflation Falls
Donald Trump’s latest attack on Kamala Harris doesn’t really hold up.
![Donald Trump speaks at a campaign event](http://images.newrepublic.com/e250a7ad9bdd003c9d7fd9b3858097461cfb0a97.jpeg?auto=format&fit=crop&crop=faces&q=65&w=768&h=undefined&ar=3%3A2&ixlib=react-9.0.2&w=768)
Donald Trump attempted to blame Kamala Harris for inflation in the wake of a new economics report, but its findings actually showed a crucial decrease in inflation.
A new report published Wednesday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics found that in July, year-over-year inflation dropped to 2.9 percent—marking the first time that inflation has slipped below 3 percent since March 2021. The report makes way for the Federal Reserve to cut rates in September.
However, consumer prices rose: The price of food increased by 0.2 percent in July, according to the report. The data was still in line with a significant slowdown in the rising price of food, which actually went down in June. Shelter was an outlier, with the price of rent increasing by 0.5 percent.
The report represented a huge win for Democrats, who have been consistently slammed by Republicans over inflation, and the price of groceries. A recent Cato Institute poll found that a whopping 40 percent of American voters surveyed listed inflation/prices as one of their top three issues in the upcoming presidential election—placing it above any other issue in terms of voter priorities.
In light of the good news for Democrats, Trump’s campaign attempted to reframe the conversation around high prices but incidentally cited “Kamalanomics” as the cause for what is ultimately an improved economic situation.
“Under Kamala Harris, everything costs 20 percent more than it did under President Trump,” said Trump spokesperson Karoline Leavitt in a press release about the Labor report.
“America cannot afford another four years of Kamala’s failed economic policies,” Leavitt said, citing increases in the price of baby food and the price of gas.
Meanwhile, a new survey conducted by the Financial Times found that Harris had blunted Trump’s edge on the question of who voters trusted to handle the economy.