US: Harris Closes Gap To Trump On Dealing With Inflation

A new Cook Political Report swing state survey shows Harris leading or tied with Trump in all but one of the seven battleground states and with a lead of 49% to 48% in a two-way matchup.

• Cook notes: “Underneath the topline numbers, though, there have been some significant shifts, most notably Trump’s slipping advantage on his two strongest issues — inflation and immigration. However, Harris has seen some slippage of her own: as her lead among independent voters has shrunk from eight points this summer to two points in September.”
• Cook continues: “As he did in August, Trump holds a five-point lead on the question on who voters trust to “deal with the economy” (50-45%). But, on the specific issue of “getting inflation under control,” Trump’s six-point lead from August has evaporated. In August, Trump led Harris on inflation and cost of living 48% to 42%. Today, voters are evenly divided (47%) on who they trust more to handle an issue that 60% of swing state voters say is the aspect of the economy that “concerns them the most.””
• Cook concludes that, “Harris’ message on the economy has broken through,” and “Trump’s attempts to link her to “Bidenomics” and the role the Biden Administration’s economic policy played in driving up the cost of living have not been as effective as Republicans had hoped.” 

Figure 1: Voter Trust on Following Issues