[Anchor]
With the US midterm elections just three days away, the economy and inflation have emerged as the top issues. While President Trump claims that the US economy is experiencing a golden age, voters' actual lived experiences are quite different.
Washington correspondent Jeon Byeong-nam listened to what US voters had to say.
[Reporter]
We visited a grocery store to ask how much grocery prices have risen due to the prolonged war in Iran and other factors.
[Marlene / Vienna, Virginia: This pizza used to cost $7, but now it's almost $15. That means the price has doubled.]
[Maria / Fairfax, Virginia: These are Halloween candies. As you can hear when I shake it, it's only about half full, and the candies themselves have gotten smaller.]
The US consumer price inflation rate last month was 3.7%, up 0.3 percentage points from the previous month.
This shows a stark contrast with President Trump's claim that the US economy is in a golden age.
According to a recent AP-NORC poll, 85% of voters cited the economy and 84% cited the cost of living as major factors in their midterm voting decisions.
[Maria / Fairfax, Virginia: (Trump's economic report card is) definitely an F minus. (Why is that?) Because costs are rising, and prices are rising. Most Americans would say they are feeling the economic pinch.]
The situation is even more severe when it comes to oil prices.
I just filled up my car with gas right now.
It came out to $68, and this gas station is known to be relatively cheap in the US.
Yet, it came out to $4 per gallon.
That is nearly double the amount compared to this time last year.
[Anthony / Ashburn, Virginia: (The soaring oil prices) are because of the war with Iran. The president needs to do something. Because this is a really ridiculous situation.]
The surge in oil prices following the war with Iran is even turning away President Trump's traditional base of support.
[Jim / Vienna, Virginia: Life is hard because of inflation. Depending on who you vote for, it's a factor (that influences the vote).]
In a CNN poll, respondents who said they trust the Democratic Party more on the economy led the Republican Party by 6 percentage points, a complete reversal from two years ago when Republicans led by 15 percentage points.
How well the economic achievements emphasized by President Trump throughout the election campaign align with the public's actual economic sentiment will soon be revealed through the ballots.
(Photo: Yonhap News)
(Reported by Jeon Byeong-nam | Video by Oh Jung-shik | Video Editing by Lee Seung-yeol | Graphics by Taeyoung Park)
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