{"text":[[{"start":9.54,"text":"More than two-thirds of US voters are unhappy with President Donald Trump’s handling of inflation and affordability — a striking condemnation of the White House and Republicans on the eve of Tuesday’s midterm elections."}],[{"start":22.4,"text":"Nearly 70 per cent of voters disapprove of how Trump has handled price rises and the cost of living, according to the final nationwide pre-election survey conducted by the FT and Focaldata. Among independents, the percentage was higher, at 77 per cent."}],[{"start":38.44,"text":"Asked what they most wanted to see after the midterms, most respondents picked “lower prices and a stronger economy” as their top choice."}],[{"start":46.32,"text":"Skyrocketing fuel prices and inflation linked to Trump’s unpopular Iran war — now in its eighth month — are weighing on voters in the final hours before the election, which will determine whether Democrats can wrest control of Congress."}],[{"start":null,"text":"

"}],[{"start":59.76,"text":"On Monday, Trump told a small crowd attending a speech about the reflecting pool in Washington that Tuesday’s elections were “the most important midterm, I believe, in our lifetime”."}],[{"start":70.28,"text":"Most polls predict Democrats will win a majority in the House of Representatives, while others have shown the party could also gain control of the Senate. A New York Times-Siena poll published on Sunday showed Democrats leading in nearly all seven “toss-up” Senate races."}],[{"start":84.96,"text":"While voters were split on whether a Democratic majority in Congress would result in a better economy, a much larger percentage of voters, including independents, said they saw Democrats better at handling inflation and the cost of living than Republicans, with a gap of about 14 points."}],[{"start":101.92,"text":"Republicans in several races have tried to distance themselves from Trump as voters struggle with higher energy, food and healthcare costs they associate with the president."}],[{"start":111.12,"text":"The proportion of respondents disapproving of his handling of inflation has increased about 10 points — from 58 per cent to 68 per cent — since the FT’s first poll in May."}],[{"start":122.04,"text":"Trump’s tariffs and low approval rating, which FT’s latest poll showed to be only about 34 per cent, are other potential liabilities for Republicans as they make a last-ditch attempt to win support on campaign trail."}],[{"start":null,"text":""}],[{"start":134,"text":"Concerns over inflation are also hitting business sentiment. According to a monthly survey of US manufacturing companies released by the Institute for Supply Management on Monday, two-thirds of responses were negative, despite output expanding for the 12th consecutive month, as managers lamented the impact of Trump’s tariffs and the Iran war."}],[{"start":154.24,"text":"“Customers continue to be gobsmacked by the high price of equipment when they ask for quotes,” a manager for a transportation equipment company told the survey. A respondent from the metals sector added: “Material shortages abound. Fuel remains high. Uncertainty remains constant.”"}],[{"start":170.44,"text":"Besides the cost of living, voters said they also want to see less graft after the midterms, with “reduction in government corruption” the second most popular issue for respondents to the FT poll after “lower prices and a strong economy”."}],[{"start":184.92,"text":"Corruption has become a central point of voter discontent in the final weeks of the election campaign, with about 69 per cent of respondents — including nearly 50 per cent of those who voted for Trump in 2024 — concerned about graft within the current administration, according to the FT’s mid-October poll."}],[{"start":204.24,"text":"Immigration and border security are among the few issues on which Trump and his party have retained support, with about 50 per cent of respondents selecting the Republican Party as best able to handle the issue."}],[{"start":213.12,"text":"However, in terms of what voters want to see as a result of midterms, only 28 per cent of respondents included immigration as one of the top three issues they wanted improved after the midterms. More popular choices included more accessible healthcare and less US involvement in foreign wars."}],[{"start":230.772,"text":"The FT poll was conducted online by Focaldata, a London-based, non-partisan research company, from October 30 to November 1. The poll surveyed 2,163 registered voters and has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.5 percentage points."}],[{"start":246.04,"text":"Additional reporting by Michael Taffe in New York"}],[{"start":253.56,"text":""}]],"url":"https://audio.ftcn.net.cn/album/a_1793666733_9350.mp3"}