FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump gestures as he arrives to deliver remarks on the U.S. economy and affordability at the Mount Airy Casino Resort in Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania, U.S. December 9, 2025. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst/File Photo
President Donald Trump was hit with a sharp midterm warning Thursday after a new inflation report showed prices rising at their fastest annual pace in months — raising fresh concerns about the economy just days before the critical midterm elections.
“JUST IN: The US still has an inflation problem and it's getting worse again,” Heather Long, chief economist at Navy Federal Credit Union, warned on X.
The warning came after new government figures showed the Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation measure, the Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) price index, climbing to 3.6% in September, its highest reading since May.
Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA) wasted no time taking aim at Trump and the Republican Party.
“Another bad inflation report,” Lieu wrote Thursday on X. “The Federal Reserve’s preferred measure of inflation (PCE) rose again, this time to 3.6%, the highest since May.”
“The economic policies of Trump and his rubber-stamp Republicans suck,” he added.
Long, meanwhile, placed blame on Trump’s monthslong war in Iran as a major driver of the worsening inflation picture.
“Bottom line: Inflation is back near a 3-year high,” Long wrote. “It’s largely due to war in Iran, but there's legitimate concern that inflation is spreading beyond energy.”
The report adds to economic concerns facing Republicans ahead of Tuesday’s high-stakes midterm elections, with rising prices continuing to strain Americans.
“November is coming,” Lieu warned.
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