The Republican candidates walking a Trump tightrope
Republican candidates are struggling to balance their campaigns with Donald Trump's rhetoric as economic concerns like inflation and cost of living dominate voter priorities. Despite Trump's claims of economic success, polling suggests the public is dissatisfied with the current economic climate and several of his key policies.
Why it matters
It illustrates the tension between party leadership and voter sentiment in the lead-up to midterm elections, highlighting the political risks of ignoring economic realities.
The Republican candidates walking a Trump tightrope
By Anthony Zurcher North America correspondent in Florida As US President Donald Trump hits the campaign trail in the final sprint to the midterm elections, he is launching an emphatic defence of America's economic performance, trying - as he often does - to bend reality to his will.
"We have the best economic numbers of any president in the history of our country, and yet people don't know about it because the press won't talk about it," he said last week.
While some economic indicators, including roaring stock market indexes and low US poverty rates, are indeed historic, the overall picture is not nearly as rosy.
Trump is often dismissive of concerns about affordability and the high cost of living in the US, describing them as "fake" and a Democrat-inspired "hoax".
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