Pinched By Higher Prices, Many Trump Voters Say: Don't Blame The President

In interviews, a group of 20 Trump voters from around the country whom Reuters has spoken with monthly since February revealed how high costs are impacting their lives, and where they lay the blame.

Dec 13 - When Ron Dailey goes out to eat, he is shocked by prices on the menu. “Breakfast is $20 no matter how you slice it,” said Dailey, 63, who voted for President Donald Trump in November 2024.

Dailey, a Denver-area resident who works for a human resources outsourcing solutions firm, thinks “the back-and-forthing of the tariffs” sowed market uncertainty, pushing up some costs.

But he has seen other prices fall – he recently paid just $1.74 a gallon for gas. Overall, he rates Trump an 8 out of 10 on his handling of the cost of living.

“There’s nothing the president has a magic wand on,” said Dailey, who believes the president’s tariffs and deregulatory agenda will eventually lower most everyday costs.

Affordability is front and center in voters’ minds as both parties gear up for next year’s congressional midterm elections, with Republicans particularly concerned that continuing high prices could hurt their chances to retain control of Congress.