Republican Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana warned Sunday that the GOP cannot afford to downplay voters' concerns about affordability and the cost of living as Republicans head into the final month before the midterm elections. Speaking on NBC News' Meet the Press, Kennedy said economic concerns are likely to dominate voters' decisions and acknowledged Republicans could face political consequences if Americans feel Washington has failed to address rising costs. "I think the biggest issue is cost of living," Kennedy said.
"I think we have to tell the American people the truth. We keep telling them not to believe their own lying checkbooks. It's not going to work." Kennedy's warning comes as recent polling has suggested the GOP is facing growing headwinds on economic issues.
Newsweek reached out to the White House on Sunday for comment. Kennedy's comments came after host Kristen Welker asked whether Republicans risk paying a price at the ballot box over concerns about affordability and the economy. The Louisiana senator predicted the elections would be close but said voters remain focused on the costs they face in their everyday lives.
Kennedy argued that inflation began under former President Joe Biden before worsening amid the conflict with Iran under President Donald Trump. Kennedy also suggested Americans' frustrations extend beyond prices. "The American people, both sides, feel anger," he said.
"If they don't feel anger, they feel deep melancholy. They feel like the Washington political leaders have let them down." While defending Republican efforts, Kennedy also offered a measure of self-criticism. "Some of that is our fault.
We should have done more, but we've done a lot, and I've been out on the campaign trail talking about it," he said. A recent NBC News poll found Democrats holding a 39 percent to 38 percent edge on which party voters trust more to handle the economy, the first Democratic lead on that question in the survey series since 2017. The same survey found voters trusted Democrats more on inflation, while 55 percent said Trump's policies had hurt the economy and just 26 percent said they had helped.
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