Economic numbers show that it’s Republican-led states excelling

NEWS AND OPINION:

The Republican National Committee has some news of note for us.

“Republican-led states are driving job growth. Vice President [Kamala] Harris and President Biden deserve no credit for jobs that have been created — they paid Americans not to work for months and stifled economic growth,” the committee said in a report released Wednesday.

“Republican-led states are the ones creating jobs and leading economic growth. The latest state jobs report shows that 16 of the top 20 states for jobs recovered since the coronavirus pandemic began are led by Republican governors, and 16 of the states have Republican-controlled legislatures,” the report said.

“Four states have yet to fully recover jobs lost from the pandemic - two of which have Democrat governors and three of which have Democrat-controlled legislatures. Out of the top 15 states with the lowest unemployment rates, 10 are led by Republican governors. Of the 6 states with the highest unemployment rates, 5 are led by Democrat governors,” it continued.

“Three states with Republican-controlled legislatures, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Arizona, all reached a new record low unemployment rate in June 2024 and have been the only states to reach new record low unemployment in 2024,” the report said.

ANOTHER REALITY CHECK

Let’s linger on the economy for another few moments. The aforementioned Republican National Committee continues to fact-check Democratic Party heavyweights — particularly a suggestion made by Vice President Kamala Harris that inflation was easing.

“Prices aren’t ’down’ — they’re way up. Vice President Harris wants Americans to believe prices have done anything but surge during her tenure. New data shows year-over-year inflation was 2.9% in July — more than twice the rate it was when she took office and the 41st month above the Fed’s target rate,” said Jake Schneider, rapid response director for the committee, in a written statement.

“Under Kamala Harris, overall prices are up 20.2% — with electricity up 31.7%, groceries up 21.6%, and rent up 22%. Real average weekly earnings, meanwhile, are down by 3.9% since she took office. They increased by 8.2% under President Trump,” Mr. Schneider said.

“Year-over-year inflation has averaged 5.3% during Kamala Harris’ tenure — more than double the level of inflation under any of the last four presidents. Under President Trump, inflation averaged 1.9% — right on target,” he continued.

“It’s part of the Kamala-induced cost of living crisis. Americans’ credit card debt has reached another new all-time high. Energy prices have soared 13 times faster than the previous seven years. The cost of homeownership is at its highest in more than three decades as monthly mortgage payments have skyrocketed,” Mr. Schneider said.

“Kamala’s inflation crisis has cost the average family an extra $26,000 paying for the increased cost of living. Are you better off now than you were under President Trump? Of course not,” he concluded.

PROTECTING THE VOTE

Is the security of the presidential election at risk? Two senators think so, and it’s a bipartisan concern.

Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Chairman Mark Warner, Virginia Democrat, and Vice Chairman Marco Rubio, Florida Republican, are citing apparent efforts by foreign adversaries to influence the election.

“With less than 100 days to go before the election, it is clear that our foreign adversaries are intently interested in disrupting our democratic process. While we await additional information from the Intelligence Community and law enforcement on the extent of recent foreign efforts against presidential campaigns, indications from Microsoft that foreign cyber actors may have penetrated a presidential campaign’s infrastructure are grounds for serious concern,” the lawmakers said in a joint written statement shared with Inside the Beltway.
“Protecting the integrity of our elections from foreign meddling requires constant attention. This includes bolstering campaign cybersecurity, heightened vigilance from media outlets on the potential of spreading hacked or manipulated content from foreign intelligence services, and a commitment by both political parties to call out foreign election influence efforts,” they said.

“As the Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, we condemn any type of potential influence effort by foreign adversaries and urge the Intelligence Community and law enforcement agencies to urgently examine these reports and, as appropriate, work to notify those affected and the American public. Foreign adversaries must also be put on notice that there will be consequences to interfering in the American democratic process, and the administration and both political parties must make that clear,” the senators advised.

MIDWAY DELIGHTS RETURN

Back by popular demand, here are a few more examples of American “fair food” — the type of fare you encounter at county fairs, midways and carnivals in the warm-weather months. There is much enthusiasm out there.

“The annual Beef Feast at the Utah State Fair is an event not to be missed! Grill masters will be cooking up mouth-watering beef tenderloin steak sandwiches for $12, all that, and a bag of chips!” an enthusiastic news release from the fair states.

Meanwhile, here are a few more samples from the fair menus. These names are verbatim from the sources.

Denali Cream Puffs, Glacier Pizza and Salmon Quesadillas (Alaska State Fair); Smoked Meat Loaf and Chicken Bacon Doughnut Sandwich (Kentucky State Fair); Lemongrass Turmeric Tofu and Three Piggy Pals on a Stick (Minnesota State Fair); Fried Green Tomato Sandwich (West Virginia State Fair); Brisket Burnt Ends and Crispy Pork Belly (Maine State Fair); and Fried Spaghetti and Meatballs on a Stick and Gator on a Stick (Arkansas State Fair).

POLL DU JOUR

• 23% of registered U.S. voters think of themselves as a “strong Republican.”

• 10% of voters think of themselves as a “not very strong Republican.”

• 7% of voters think of themselves as an “independent closer to the Republican Party.”

• 14% of voters think of themselves as “strictly independent.”

• 8% of voters think of themselves as an “independent closer to the Democratic Party.”

• 10% of voters think of themselves as a “not very strong Democrat.”

• 22% of voters think of themselves as a “strong Democrat.”

• 6% of voters are not sure about their political calling.

SOURCE: A CNBC poll of 1,001 registered U.S. voters conducted July 3-Aug. 4.

• Follow Jennifer Harper on X @HarperBulletin, on Facebook @HarperUniverse. Contact her at Jharper@washingtontimes.com.