In Victory, Democrats See Economic Mandate to Cut Costs and Curtail Trump

In the final months of a bitterly fought midterm campaign, President Trump frequently shrugged off affordability as a “hoax,” bragging to voters that the economy was stronger than it had ever been.In the end, Americans resoundingly disagreed.Furious over high prices at the grocery store, at the gas pump and beyond, a broad swath of the electorate delivered an unmistakable repudiation of Mr.Trump’s agenda on Tuesday, one that may serve to curtail his economic policies and ambitions over the final two years of his term.The depth of the public’s dissatisfaction with Mr.

Trump was evident in the breadth of the Democratic victories.The party flipped dozens of states and congressional districts by channeling the public’s anger over inflation and the costs of the president’s policies, including the war with Iran.The outcome denied Mr.

Trump the potent advantage of another congressional majority, which he had wielded over the last two years to cut taxes, slash welfare programs, delete federal regulations and wage a bruising global trade war.By Wednesday, some Democrats began openly plotting how to roll back some of the president’s prized accomplishments.“What is our assignment?” asked Senator Chuck Schumer, Democrat of New York, who could soon become the majority leader.

“First, Americans want Washington to bring down the cost of living.”The work to deliver on that pledge could prove difficult for Democrats, whose majorities are robust but still insufficient to override Mr.Trump, who said this week that he could become “Mr.

Veto.” Adding to the challenge, Democrats probably cannot directly turn back the clock on high prices, though they can certainly curb the political and economic sources — including the war with Iran — that have exacerbated inflation.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.If you are in Reader mode please exi...