|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
by WILL FOLKS
***
It’s hard to find media outlets consistently calling balls and strikes where partisan and economic issues meet. Far too often, editorial decisions regarding good news or bad news depend upon which party is in power.
Thankfully, that’s never been a problem for this media outlet…
We report on economic data without fear, favor or factionalism – pointing out how poor monetary and fiscal policy in our nation has been a decidedly bipartisan endeavor for decades. As we noted in ushering out former U.S. president Joe Biden, the chronic inflation (or “Bidenflation“) experienced during his administration was partially the fault of his predecessor/successor, Donald Trump.
Trump’s contributions to our nation’s unsustainable debt during his first term were significant – and we pulled no punches in criticizing his broader failure to rein in the excesses of the Washington swamp.
Similarly, Biden did Trump no favors – saddling him with even more pernicious headwinds due to his administration’s reckless profligacy.
***
Trump’s second term started as a mixed bag economically, but lately things have deteriorated markedly. His ill-conceived war with Iran – egged on by Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu and the late Lindsey Graham – has severely compounded the inflationary pressures we are currently witnessing.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), America’s consumer price index (CPI) – which tracks the average change over time in prices paid by urban consumers for a market basket of goods and services – rose by 3.5% over the past twelve months. That’s well above the Federal Reserve’s target inflation rate of 2%.
Driving this spike? Prices on energy… which have surged by 15.7% over the past twelve months.
As a result of these headwinds, economic growth during the second quarter of 2026 cooled precipitously. Real gross domestic product (GDP) expanded at an annual rate of just 1.5% from April through June – down from a 2.1% growth rate during the first three months of the year, according to an advance estimate from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA).
With midterm elections now just three months away, Trump’s economic record is coming squarely into focus – with several groups opposing his policies springing into action in the hopes of holding his party accountable at the polls come November.
One nonprofit group, Home of the Brave, recently took out $2.5 million worth of billboards across the country drawing attention to soaring prices on airfare, gas and groceries.
***
***
Entitled “Sticker Shock Summer,” the campaign is built around reminding voters that “energy prices have spiked under Trump’s second term, and remain elevated compared with when he took office.”
“These high prices aren’t some kind of random occurrence,” noted Sarah Matthews, an advisory board member of Home of the Brave – as well as its spokeswoman. “They’re the direct result of this administration’s harmful policy decisions, and its wanton disregard for the human suffering those policies cause.”
Making Matthews’ criticism all the more pointed? She used to be Trump’s deputy press secretary.
“This is the time of year that Americans should be relaxing, traveling, and enjoying time off with family,” Matthews added. “Instead, they’re having to work overtime to make ends meet, and wondering when the price hikes will stop, or if the administration will ever care.”
Can Trump get a handle on inflation? And what political price will his party pay if he can’t?
Keep it tuned to FITSNews as we continued to track the intersection of partisanship, politics and the economy both nationally and in our critical early-voting home state of South Carolina.
***
ABOUT THE AUTHOR…
Will Folks is the founding editor of the news outlet you are currently reading. Prior to founding FITSNews, he served as press secretary to the governor of South Carolina. He lives in the Midlands region of the state with his wife and eight children.
***
SOUND OFF…
Got something you’d like to say in response to one of our articles? Or an issue you’d like to address proactively? We have an open microphone policy! Submit your letter to the editor (or guest column) via email HERE. Got a tip for a story? CLICK HERE. Got a technical question or a glitch to report? CLICK HERE.
