Donald Trump’s economic message is colliding with voter unease ahead of the midterm elections, creating a challenge for Republicans as they try to hold Congress. While unemployment remains low, consumer spending is solid and manufacturing has shown signs of improvement, inflation has stayed above 3% since the United States entered the war with Iran alongside Israel in late February. Voters appear focused on affordability: Trump’s overall job approval stands at 39% in the RealClearPolitics average, while only 30% approve of his handling of inflation, and a new Economist/YouGov poll found 31% of Americans named inflation and prices as their top issue, 17 percentage points ahead of jobs and the economy. Some Republicans and people close to Trump want him to offer new economic proposals, including additional tax cuts, rather than rely mainly on last year’s tax law and a rising stock market. The administration argues it has a strong record, pointing to tax cuts, investment pledges and stronger manufacturing data, but critics say tariffs, elevated mortgage rates and the energy shock tied to the Iran war have kept living costs high. The result is a politically difficult backdrop for Trump, who once treated the economy as a core strength but now faces the risk that it becomes a liability.