Dems call Trump 'a total failure' over inflation as White House cites economic growth

Democrats lambasted President Donald Trump while the White House spoke of economic growth following the release of a new Consumer Price Index (CPI) report on Wednesday as Americans continue to suffer the economic consequences of inflation amid the 2026 midterm election cycle. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics noted that "The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased 0.6 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis in September after rising 0.4 percent in August.""Over the last 12 months, the all items index increased 3.7 percent before seasonal adjustment," it stated. The House Democratic Caucus declared in a post on X, "Trump promised to lower costs and end inflation on day one. The exact opposite has happened. This president has been a total failure." House Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., similarly declared, "Inflation is up. The cost of gas and groceries is soaring. Inland Empire families are paying more for everything. This Trump economy has been a total failure."And House Democratic Whip Katherine Clark, D-Mass., said in a post on X, "The GOP economy is a failure. Inflation remains too high, as families struggle to afford the basics. House Democrats are ready to win in November and stop this mess."CONSUMER INFLATION ROSE FASTER THAN EXPECTED IN SEPTEMBER, CPI REPORT SHOWS President Donald Trump arrives to speak during a campaign rally at Curtis D. Menard Memorial Sports Center in Wasilla, Alaska, on Oct. 13, 2026. (Kent NISHIMURA / AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)The latest CPI report comes less than a month before Election Day, as the Republican and Democratic Parties jockey for control of the House and Senate during midterms. The GOP currently holds the majority in both chambers, but Democrats are aiming to change that.A White House official indicated to Fox News Digital that "President Trump is bringing inflation down after it was astronomically high under Biden" and noted that "food prices remain stable, unchanged, month-over-month."The CPI report states that "the food index was unchanged in September after rising 0.1 percent in each of the preceding 2 months."SCHUMER WARNS OF REPUBLICAN ADVANTAGE THAT COULD CHANGE THE BATTLE FOR SENATE CONTROL U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., takes a question during a press conference on China AI export controls at the U.S. Capitol on Sept. 23, 2026 in Washington, D.C. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images / Getty Images)Other Democrats faulting Trump included Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y, and former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who served in the post under President Joe Biden."Donald Trump’s 'Golden Age' means never ending, higher prices for the American people while he gets a ballroom and billionaires get tax cuts," Schumer said in a post on X. "Inflation is up again. Not because of a pandemic. Not because of a natural disaster. Because of Trump’s war, tariffs, and corporate tax breaks. It really is this simple: Republicans took over, and then drove up the cost of living in America," Buttigieg said. In a statement to Fox News Digital, White House spokesman Matthew Middleton said, "President Trump has implemented an aggressive, pro-growth economic agenda that has blunted Biden’s inflation crisis, driven economic growth, increased wages and created private-sector jobs in areas that had been hollowed out and shipped overseas. "The President has always been clear about temporary disruptions as a result of the Iran conflict, but this administration will continue to deliver economic wins for the American people over the next two years.US ECONOMY GREW AT A FASTER PACE THAN EXPECTED IN SECOND QUARTERCLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP"While Democrats pretend to care about ‘affordability’ this administration has delivered tangible wins to make life more affordable for American families: President Trump signed the largest working-class tax cuts in history, cut the cost of prescription drugs, added more than one million private-sector jobs, locked in nearly 20 trade deals and will continue to put American workers first," Middleton added.