Editor’s note: This is a lightly edited transcript of today’s video from Daily Signal Senior Contributor Victor Davis Hanson. Subscribe to our YouTube channel to see more of his videos.
Hello, this is Victor Davis Hanson for The Daily Signal. The 2026 midterms, as we’ve talked about, will be determined by the economy. That was brought home by a recent Harvard/Harris poll where some dozen issues were arranged and the surveyed public was asked to rate their importance in their own opinion.
They ranged from the economy, foreign affairs, the border, higher education problems, the transgender, and, overwhelmingly, No. 1 was the economy. And it was laced in the term that the Left has used, called affordability, and they have that one issue has driven down President Donald Trump’s, basically, 48 to 50 approval ratings the last, oh, two months ago down into the lower 40s.
We don’t know how accurate these polls are, but the Left has made the argument that the prices are about 21%, 22% higher than when Donald Trump left, and they are on average about 5, 5.2 higher per year. And Donald Trump in 10 months did not lower.
Now, I know you’re saying, “Victor, Victor, that’s absurd. It was former President Joe Biden who did what you just said.” Exactly. So, why is that issue hurting Donald Trump so much? And what can he do to stop it?
Join the conversation as a VIP Member