Most U.S. voters put the economy first among election issues, with high food and energy costs a concern, according to France 24's Oct. 29 report.
The report examined whether November's midterm results could affect household cost pressures. Greg Ip, the chief economics commentator for The Wall Street Journal, said voters had limited ability to influence some of those pressures through the midterms. He said Congress could not end the war in Iran, which he described as a presidential responsibility. He also said a change in party control would not alter tariff policy, which he linked to voters' inflation concerns.
Ip said strong gross domestic product figures give only part of the picture. He said growth has appeared in higher company profits and among wealthier households that own shares in companies connected to the artificial intelligence boom. Median household incomes, he added, have lagged the strong GDP figures. Ip also described a gap between the Trump administration's economic messaging, the data and voters' perceptions of the economy.
France 24 correspondents Pierrick Leurent and Valerie Defert reported opposition to AI data centers in Republican strongholds, including Texas. Ip said the centers may draw broader unease about AI, even though they are not necessarily the immediate cause of that anxiety.
EconoTimes has also covered polling that placed the economy and cost of living among leading midterm issues.
