Robert Reich, former US secretary of labor, urges Democratic and independent candidates in the midterm elections to ask voters the question Ronald Reagan posed in his 1980 debate against Jimmy Carter: “Are you better off now than you were before this presidency?”
Reich argues that unless someone is very wealthy, the answer is clearly “No, I’m worse off.” He points to Trump’s tariffs, which he says cost every American household an average of $1,100 annually, according to the Yale Budget Lab, or $1,000 per household as estimated by the conservative Tax Foundation.
Rising costs and utility debt
Reich notes that cleaning supplies and toilet paper are up at least 5%, household furnishings up at least 8%, and clothing up at least 14%. Tariffs have also raised costs for cars and new home construction, and studies show they added as much as 0.7 and 0.5 percentage points to the consumer price index and the personal consumption expenditures price index, respectively.
The war in Iran, which has left oil tankers stranded in the Strait of Hormuz, is driving up energy and food prices, adding about $670 more per household at the gas pump since the war began. The Century Foundation and Protect Borrowers describe “a worsening utility debt crisis,” noting that energy bills have risen three times faster than inflation. The national average monthly utility bill reached $280 in early 2026, a 12% increase since the end of 2024.
Republican policies and healthcare
Reich criticizes Republican cuts to clean energy subsidies, which he says tilt toward costlier fossil fuels. He also blames AI datacenters, pushed by Trump and many Republicans, for higher electricity costs, water use, and noise pollution. The war and blockade are causing fertilizer shortages, raising food prices, and making groceries unaffordable for millions.
Trump’s tax cuts, which benefited big corporations and the wealthy, are partly paid for by cuts to Medicaid and Medicare. Trump announced ending Medicare subsidies that kept drug prices low for seniors, and Republican cuts to the Affordable Care Act have deprived millions of health insurance. Reich also mentions Trump’s executive order to split the MMR vaccine into three shots, adding burdens to families.
Republican senator Bill Cassidy said on ABC’s This Week: “This is why the president’s poll numbers are down, because you’ve lost sight of affordability for the parent. You’ve lost sight of the convenience for the American family. You’ve lost sight of that which is driving higher costs in healthcare – for example, more doctor’s visits … for something which has no rationale in science.”
Economic disparity and advice
Reich notes Trump’s gutting of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has denied Americans billions in rebates and settlements, and the regime spent $464m of taxpayer dollars on a no-bid contract for jets to deport immigrants, which have almost never been used.
While Trump says the economy is doing “unbelievably from the standpoint of Wall Street,” Reich points out that most Americans own few shares. The richest 1% holds more than half of stock value, and the richest 10% holds 92%. Only 16% of adult Americans have assets exceeding $100,000, even including retirement accounts. S&P 500 second-quarter earnings are on pace to rise 50% year over year, but consumer sentiment dropped in August, the July jobs report showed 23,000 jobs lost, and wage growth slowed.
Reich advises Democratic candidates to avoid distractions and simply ask the question: “Are you better off now than you were before this presidency?” He concludes that average working Americans are indubitably worse off and should vote their economic interests on 3 November.
