According to a new poll, an increasing number of Americans are unhappy with how President Biden is handling the economy compared to when he took office.
The Washington Post poll released on Sunday showed that 74% of Americans said the economy is in bad shape, up from 58% in the spring of 2021.
As the U.S. Federal ReserveFederal Reserve increases interest rates in order to combat record high inflation, 84% of respondents said the economy was top issue, while 74% said the same for inflation going into the midterm elections in November.
According to 62% of the population, abortion is a top issue.
According to the poll, Republicans hold a 16 point lead over Democrats in trust to handle the economy and a 19 point lead in trust to handle inflation.
The U.S. Federal Reserve raised interest rates in a move to curb decades-high inflation, which could lead to fears of a recession.
The benchmark rate, which affects many consumer and business loans, was lifted last week by the Fed to a range of 3% to 3.25%. It was close to zero at the beginning of the year. The Fed released a forecast that its benchmark rate could be 4.4% by the year's end, a full point higher than envisioned in June.
The average price for a gallon of regular gasoline in the US climbed to $3.725 for the sixth day in a row, after declining for nearly 100 days in a row during the summer driving season.