President Donald Trump’s return to the White House for his second presidency was built on a campaign promising to save the economy and “rescue the middle class.” Middle class and low-income voters from across America backed his campaign, inspired by Trump’s commitment to tackling affordability, the rising cost of living and middle class discontent, which helped Trump win the middle class.
However, President Trump does not care about the middle class. He does not care about affordability. In fact, he called it a “con job” and a “fake narrative” pushed by the Democrats, and claims he simply inherited inflation and a bad economy.
This is a presidency built on broken promises, especially regarding affordability. As midterms approach and Trump promises $5,000 to American adults if they keep Republicans in control of Congress, it is more important than ever to do thorough and unbiased research before voting, not depending on unwavering party loyalty.
America is facing an economy far from what Trump promised. President Trump has ignored and pushed away the middle class people he promised to uplift and “save.” Trump made various promises to “bring the cost of everything way down” and “break the inflation nightmare,” when he has done the exact opposite, actively pursuing policies which make everyday essentials more expensive.
Though 2026 is not a presidential election year and Trump isn’t up for reelection, it has serious implications for Congress. Pew Research Center reported 95% of Republicans voted for Trump in the 2024 election, meaning his policies, promises and power heavily shape the direction of the party and the upcoming midterms.
According to the United States Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, “households paid an estimated $2,120 more in 2025 because of inflation under Trump – including an estimated $123 more on electricity bills and an estimated $150 more for groceries.” Americans are catching on to this cost of living nightmare, as 37% of 2024 Trump voters say the cost of living is worse than anything they’ve seen.
Americans are directly paying for Trump’s broken promises, like the “no new wars” element of his 2024 campaign, which he violated this year with a war against Iran.
Even though he tried to backtrack in an interview with NBC, arguing he “didn’t guarantee no war,” at a 2024 rally he explicitly said, “under Trump, we will have no more wars, no more disruptions, and we will have prosperity and peace for all.”
The Guardian reports that current inflation is high because of the war in Iran, particularly gas and energy prices.
These affordability and cost-of-living concerns are creating a disconnect from loyal Republican voters, who are displaying a “lack of enthusiasm” ahead of the important 2026 midterms.
At the same time, split-ticket voting, “when a voter chooses candidates from more than one political party on the same ballot,” is not as popular as it used to be. Allegiance to a political party is expanding beyond congressional races and even moving to the state and local level, creating concerns it may hinder voters' understanding of candidates' policies. It’s essential to evaluate candidates based on real results, not the letter next to their name and the words they spew.
True change, especially regarding affordability, can’t happen overnight. However, it’s relatively easy to see if elected officials are moving toward their goals and promises or abandoning them.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani campaigned on combating the cost of living in the city. After eight months in office, Mamdani froze rent on one million New York City rent-stabilized apartments, launched free daycare for 2,000 children and introduced five grocery stores with cheap groceries. Promises are easy to make, but actions are harder to come by.
As Vice President JD Vance begs for another chance and “another couple of years,” Americans know, especially the middle class, there is no time to wait. Americans have spent $100 billion more on gas because of Trump’s war with Iran and over 40% of Americans are pulling money from their savings.
Your vote does matter, so register if you haven’t yet. Do real, unbiased research. Look beyond the claims, promises and words – look for actions, policies and real results. Party affiliation can give context, but unwavering loyalty without research isn’t the way to go.
Abby Shriver is a sophomore studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note the opinions expressed in this column do not represent those of The Post. Want to talk to Abby about their column? Email/message them at as064024@ohio.edu / @abbyshriver_
