Prices Squeeze Voters as Trump Leans on Culture War

Mark Brooks has built lobster traps for 40 years, and he says he’s never faced a business climate this bad. The same week President Donald Trump imposed 50% tariffs on imported steel, Brooks’ domestic wire-mesh supplier raised prices by 20%. Then Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney slapped 50% tariffs on U.S. lobster traps. Roughly $2 million in annual shipments across the border dried up almost overnight.

“We’ve eaten as much cost as we can to try to keep our prices down, but we just can’t eat any more than we have already,” Brooks said. His traps now sell for $180, up from $130 two years ago.

Brooks’ trouble reflects a broader national problem. With the Nov. 3 congressional elections 12 days away, Republican candidates are trying to manage the fallout from tariffs, the war with Iran and voters’ anxiety about prices, while Trump pushes culture-war themes at rallies.

Who Is Paying

A CNBC All-America Economic Survey found eight in 10 Americans rate the economy fair or poor, the highest share since December 2023. Eighty percent say prices are rising, up five points from a year earlier. Food worries 34% of respondents, more than gas at 23%, and it’s the top concern among people earning $30,000 or less.

In Maine, AAA says diesel fuel for boats is up 67% statewide over the past year. Rope, much of it imported from India, and bait, largely from Europe, also cost more. Maine sends more than 40% of its exports to Canada and depends more than any other state on home heating oil. In a Suffolk University poll this month, more than 90% of likely voters rated the state’s economy fair or poor, and 57% viewed Trump unfavorably.

Iowa farmers are carrying their own load. Farm incomes there are down 53% over the last three years, and Chapter 12 farm bankruptcies have more than doubled in two years. In 2022, 7.7% of mid- to large-sized farms were financially vulnerable. By December 2025, that figure had climbed to 19%. Trump has announced an $8 billion farmer relief fund, though available reporting offered no further details.

Republicans Seek Distance

In Maine’s close Senate race, Republican Sen. Susan Collins and Democrat Troy Jackson both criticize the Canada tariffs. At an Oct. 13 debate, Collins said, “Troy and I both would have voted against the Canadian tariffs. But I have been able to negotiate and get certain items removed from the tariff list.” Jackson answered, “We should have never had a list. We shouldn’t be in a trade war with Canada.” A CNN poll found seven in 10 likely Maine voters call the Canadian tariffs bad for the state. Polls compiled by FiftyPlusOne show Jackson up by an average of 2 percentage points.

Collins secured exemptions for concrete, wood pulp and road salt. Jackson says Congress should have blocked the tariffs in the first place. Lobsterman Steve Train faulted Trump for “bypassing Congress” to “issue executive orders to do things that cause us a problem,” but said he’ll still vote for Collins.

Other Republicans are hedging, too. Mike Rogers in Michigan criticized the Canada tariffs and urged a quick end to the Iran war. In Iowa, Ashley Hinson opposed Trump’s beef-import plan, calling it “a bad idea” that would hurt ranchers. She’ll still appear with Trump in Sioux City tonight. Democrat Josh Turek leads her 46.7% to 46.3% in Decision Desk HQ figures, though prediction markets favor Hinson.

The Pivot to Culture Wars

Trump’s approval stands at 40%, with 59% disapproving. On the economy, 34% approve and 65% disapprove, the worst net economic rating of either of his terms. An AP-NORC poll found 65% blame Trump’s policies for high costs more than factors beyond his control.

On the stump, Trump has taken a different route. In Wasilla, Alaska, he said of gender-affirming surgeries, “We will not let them cut our children.” Since Aug. 1, Republican candidates or allied groups have spent more than $100 million on 200 ads referencing transgender issues, according to AdImpact. Trump has also accused Somali immigrants of having “destroyed” Minnesota, called Michigan Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed a “jihadist,” and used an anti-trans slur against South Carolina Democrat Annie Andrews.

George Washington University’s Todd Belt said the aim is to turn out low-propensity Trump voters. “They expected him to fix the economy, and he hasn’t. So if you don’t have the No. 1 issue, you have to pivot to a different issue,” he said. A CNN/SSRS poll in September found 68% call the economy extremely important, versus 25% for transgender policies.

Ramiro Sarmiento of the Human Rights Campaign said Republicans “manufacture a culture war that scapegoats the trans community to distract from their own failures.” Even some Republicans doubt the strategy. Former Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan said, “no one knows anyone who can afford a transgender surgery,” and warned of “looking very out of touch.” GOP pollster Whit Ayres said cultural issues “don’t carry the same juice.”

What Voters Want From Congress

The AP-NORC poll found about eight in 10 registered voters want lowering the cost of living among Congress’ top priorities, and roughly seven in 10 want the Iran war ended. About two in 10 want Congress to prioritize Trump’s agenda. Respondents in the CNBC survey preferred Democratic control of Congress 52% to 45%, and a majority said Democrats would do better on corruption and the cost of food and gas.

Why This Matters: Household budgets sit behind the polling. Families are paying more for groceries, fuel and heating, and small manufacturers like Brooks Trap Mill are absorbing costs they can’t sustain. Tariffs imposed by executive action have rippled through supply chains, and retaliation has hit exporters who had no say in the fight. Voters across party lines, including a growing share of Republicans, say prices are rising faster than usual. Meanwhile, 93% of respondents say elected officials shouldn’t trade individual stocks of companies with federal contracts, and 89% oppose federal contracts for companies tied to a president’s immediate family. Those numbers suggest voters want Congress to act as a check on both costs and conflicts of interest. How the next Congress answers is the question in 12 days.