The economy is gaining in urgency as an issue as it nears an inflection point following a period of interest rate hikes and quantitative tightening undertaken by the Federal Reserve in response to elevated postpandemic inflation.
Prior to Biden’s withdrawal from the race last month, a string of polls indicated Trump was winning on the key campaign issue. The surveys concluded that voters trusted Trump on economic issues more than they trusted Biden.
But polls taken after Biden dropped out have also shown Harris narrowing the gap with Trump on the overall handling of the economy.
“The big question is, ‘Can you win the message war there? Can you convince the hearts and minds, and win the conversation on what the future looks like?,’” said Joel Payne, a Democratic strategist.
“Obviously Republicans traditionally have an advantage on this. But while you’re litigating the last three years, you need to make sure you’re putting it into context about, “Who do you trust in the future” on the economy.
At the moment, Harris is “getting a free pass” when it comes to the economy and other top policy issues, one major Democratic donor said. “But they need to be ready to have a solid economic argument at their fingertips,” the donor cautioned. “Biden struggled to articulate that message.”
The Hill's Amie Parnes and Tobias Burns have more here.
