Trump must stay on message to win in November

OPINION:

For Donald Trump to win in November, he needs to remind voters that their lives were better when he was president and that they will be better again if he is reelected. He cannot take the bait. He must be disciplined to stay on message every day to win. Thankfully, the facts are on his side.

Americans are not better off today than they were when Mr. Trump was in office. “ABC Nightly News” anchor David Muir began the debate this week with a lengthy statement for Vice President Kamala Harris that ended with the question, “When it comes to the economy, do you believe Americans are better off than they were four years ago?”

She ignored the question and responded with the glib answer, “So, I was raised as a middle-class kid.” That’s because she has no real answer.

Four years of the Biden-Harris economy have been rough on many Americans, particularly the middle class. Prices have increased about 20%, while housing costs in my home state alone have increased nearly 30%. Filling the gas tank of my Chevrolet Traverse at the Kwik Trip in Delafield, Wisconsin, costs about $1.25 more per gallon than four years ago.

Ms. Harris proposes cost controls by the federal government. Anyone who prefers that approach must also select the efficiency of the U.S. Postal Service over United Parcel Service or FedEx. Most of us know that the federal government is more likely to screw things up than solve our problems.

Actions taken in the past 3½ years to drive up federal spending, increase government red tape and hinder American energy production are the driving factors behind high inflation that leads to soaring prices. The Biden-Harris administration is behind these problems and should bear much of the responsibility for high prices in the United States. Giving the federal government more authority over the economy is dangerous.

History has shown governments that were given major power over their economies have seen major shortages in the availability of products such as food, fuel and housing. The former Soviet Union, Cuba, Venezuela and North Korea are examples of the problems that come with too much government control over the market.

Search “food lines in Venezuela” online to see what happened to this formerly prosperous nation once it adopted these socialist policies. The middle class gets stuck just as much as the poor in this country, which is blessed with abundant natural resources.

The best political arguments are the ones voters inherently know are true. People see the impact of high prices on themselves. They don’t need political ads for Mr. Trump to tell them, and no number of Harris campaign ads will persuade them to ignore what they see. Higher prices on food, fuel, housing, electricity and other essentials are hurting the hardworking people of this country.

Life was better before President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. No amount of help from biased moderators from the corporate media can change that. Prices were lower when Mr. Trump was president. Our border was more secure, and the public was not as concerned about violent crime.

Ms. Harris is the Biden-Harris administration’s point person on finding the sources of illegal immigration. She has failed, and now we have a national security crisis on our southern border. Illegal drugs are crossing the border, and the surge of fentanyl coming north contributes to the historically high number of overdose deaths in our country.

The moderators from ABC News rhetorically fell over themselves to fact-check Mr. Trump in the debate but refused to pressure Ms. Harris regarding her failure to reduce illegal immigration. Listening to the vice president alone would make some people think that Mr. Trump is to blame for the troubles at the southern border. Efforts by the Biden-Harris administration to walk away from his successes have led to the problems we face today. Failing to secure the border and ensure public safety are more than just domestic issues; they are connected to America’s economic challenges.

Complaining about biased moderators and speculating that Ms. Harris had a device in her ear giving her the answers will not win the election. One thing will win this presidential election.

Mr. Trump needs to remind voters every day of what Ms. Harris failed to acknowledge in the debate: Americans were better off when Donald Trump was president, and they will be better off again when he is back in office.

• Scott Walker is president of Young America’s Foundation and served as the 45th governor of Wisconsin from 2011 to 2019.