Donald Trump has said that Americans are struggling with massive price hikes that he blamed on vice president Kamala Harris, looking to saddle his new Democratic rival with the unpopular economic record of President Joe Biden.
Mr Trump stuck close to his scripted economic message, reading from a binder in front of him in a news conference at his New Jersey golf club.
A day earlier, he struggled to make a sustained case for his economic policies during a meandering speech that his campaign had billed as a major policy address.
“Kamala Harris is a radical California liberal who broke the economy, broke the border and broke the world, frankly,” Mr Trump told reporters.
Mr Trump was flanked by popular grocery store items – including instant coffee, sugary breakfast cereals and pastries – laid out on tables as he highlighted the cost of everything from food to car insurance to housing.
The event came one day after the Labour Department announced year-over-year inflation had reached its lowest level in more than three years in July — the latest sign that the worst price spike in four decades is fading.
But consumers are still feeling the impact of higher prices — something Mr Trump’s campaign is banking on to motivate voters this autumn.
Ms Harris is planning her own economic policy speech on Friday in North Carolina, promising to push for a federal ban on price gouging on groceries.
A small crowd of Trump supporters watched his news conference from the periphery, occasionally cheering him on. But without a crowd of thousands to please with red meat attacks on his enemies, Mr Trump stuck closer to his prepared remarks.
Hours before the news conference, Mr Trump’s campaign leaders announced they were expanding his staff, bringing a number of former aides and outside advisers formally into the fold.
Corey Lewandowski, Taylor Budowich, Alex Pfeiffer, Alex Bruesewitz and Tim Murtaugh will advise the campaign’s senior leadership.
Summer has traditionally been the time for shake-ups in Mr Trump’s two prior campaigns. This year’s change comes weeks after the campaign itself was transformed by Mr Biden’s decision to end his re-election campaign and endorse Ms Harris.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel