吉尔·科尔文，乔什·博克 华盛顿报道 —— 总统唐纳德·特朗普希望选民不必为通胀担忧。但这对他们来说很难忽视。
JILL COLVIN, JOSH BOAK WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump would prefer that voters not worry about inflation . But it’s hard for them to ignore.
现在给一辆基本款福特F-150皮卡加满油要花约100美元，比一年前上涨了30美元。抵押贷款利率已跃升至抑制房屋销售的水平。而在过去12个月里，消费者物价涨幅快于薪资涨幅，令普通家庭变得更穷。
Filling up a basic Ford F-150 truck now costs about $100, up $30 from a year ago. Mortgage rates have jumped to levels that have depressed home sales. And for the past 12 months, consumer prices have risen faster than paychecks, making the average family poorer.
在将作为对他第二个任期公投的中期选举前一周，特朗普正努力兑现其竞选承诺降低成本，即使他坚称国家已步入经济“黄金时代”。两年前助推他卷土重来的那种挫败感，如今可能让共和党失去对国会的控制权。
One week before midterm elections that will serve as a referendum on his second term, Trump is struggling to deliver on his campaign promise to bring down costs, even as he insists the country has entered an economic “golden age.”The same frustration that powered his comeback two years ago could now cost Republicans control of Congress.
“我们国家现在的状况比以往任何时候都要好，”特朗普在竞选途中坚称，并誓言一旦他发动的与伊朗的战争结束，利率和油价将暴跌。
“Our nation is doing better now than ever before,” Trump insists while campaigning, vowing that interest rates and oil prices will plunge once the war with Iran — which he started — comes to an end.
他说，“负担能力”一词无非是“民主党的一个骗局”，并补充道，“它对任何人都毫无意义。”这种言论出台之际，选民表示他们难以负担燃油和食品杂货等基本开销，并将成本上升归咎于特朗普，指向这位共和党总统激进的关税政策以及正在进行、不得人心的对伊朗战争。
The word “affordability,” he says, is nothing but “a con job by the Democrats,” adding that “it doesn’t mean anything to anybody.”That rhetoric comes as voters say they’re struggling to afford basics like fuel and groceries and as they blame Trump for higher costs , pointing to the Republican president’s aggressive tariff policies and the ongoing, unpopular war with Iran.
尤其是创纪录的柴油高价，推高了航运和农业成本，给爱荷华、堪萨斯、俄亥俄和得克萨斯等通常倾向保守的州的共和党人制造了麻烦，在这些将塑造特朗普任内最后两年的竞选中，民主党显现出独特的竞争力。
Record-high diesel prices, in particular, have driven up shipping and farming costs , creating trouble for Republicans in typically conservative states such as Iowa, Kansas, Ohio and Texas, where Democrats appear uniquely competitive in races that will shape Trump’s final two years in office.
“东西的成本绝对是人们谈论的首要话题，但也是他们的工资跟不上成本，”美国劳联-产联主席利兹·舒勒说。“这是双重打击。”加油站的油价已成为选民最突出的关切议题。
“The costs of things are absolutely the first thing people talk about, but also it’s their pay not keeping up with the cost,” said AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler. “It’s a double whammy.”Prices at the pump have become a preeminent issue for voters.
“人们讨厌为汽油支付更多钱，而且价格涨了很多，”曾就经济问题向总统提供建议的斯蒂芬·摩尔说。“这令人沮丧，因为特朗普为经济做了很多好事。但伊朗局势确实对经济产生了巨大影响，共和党可能为此付出沉重代价。”48岁的米斯蒂·里德说，她在政治上认为自己“处于中间立场”，但在南卡罗来纳州伊斯利的选票上全投给了民主党人。
“People hate paying more money for gas, and the prices have gone up a lot,” said Stephen Moore, who has previously advised the president on the economy. “It’s frustrating because Trump’s done so many good things for the economy. But with the Iran situation, that’s really had a big effect on the economy, and Republicans may pay a high price for that.”Misty Reeder, 48, said she considers herself “in the middle” politically but picked all Democrats on her ballot in Easley, South Carolina.
“我注意到事情变得难多了，”领取残疾金的里德说。“走到哪儿都能听到这事儿。”她说，在她和丈夫租住这所房子的六年里，房租涨了好几百美元。
“I’ve noticed that things have been getting a lot harder,” said Reeder, who receives disability payments. “You hear about it everywhere you go.”In the six years that she and her husband have been renting their home, Reeder said their rent had increased by hundreds of dollars.
“总得有个了结，”她说。“就像大坝——压力太大了，迟早会决堤。”69岁的桑德拉·卡佩尔说，她希望在经济方面“看到一些变化”，尽管她在伊斯利投了共和党的票，该地属于南卡罗来纳州保守的“上州”地区。
“Something’s gotta give,” she said. “It’s like a dam — the pressure’s too much, and it’s going to break.”Sandra Capell, 69, said she wants “to see some change” when it comes to the economy even though she voted Republican in Easley, which is part of South Carolina’s conservative Upstate region.
“我觉得大家在食品杂货、汽油、其实所有方面都在受苦，”她说。“我指望共和党跳上马车，跨上马鞍，让我们把局面扭回来。”47岁的贝蒂·罗萨莱斯说，物价上涨冲击了她在宾夕法尼亚州阿伦敦经营的墨西哥餐馆，该地属于利哈伊谷，近年来在两党之间摇摆。青柠和牛油果比以前贵了。偶尔需要请的水管工也贵了。
“I think everybody is kind of suffering when it comes to groceries, gas, everything really,” she said. “I’m looking at the Republican Party to jump on the wagon, get in the saddle and let’s bring it back.”Beti Rosales, 47, said higher prices have taken a toll on her family’s Mexican restaurant in Allentown, Pennsylvania , part of the Lehigh Valley that has seesawed between the parties in recent years. Limes and avocados cost more than before. So does the plumber who’s occasionally needed.
两年前，罗萨莱斯决定给特朗普和共和党一个机会，希望能缓解通胀。
Two years ago, Rosales decided to give Trump and Republicans a chance, hoping for relief from inflation.
“现实是，情况其实没好转，”她说。“反而变得更糟。所有东西的价格都涨了。”罗萨莱斯现在正考虑在中期选举中投票给民主党人。“也许新面孔能有所作为？”她说。
“The reality now is that it actually didn’t get better,” she said. “It actually got worse. The prices of everything have increased.”Rosales is now considering voting Democratic in the midterms. “Maybe fresh new faces might make a difference?” she said.
在2024年竞选期间，特朗普猛烈抨击时任总统乔·拜登和副总统卡玛拉·哈里斯——他在大选中的民主党对手——未能遏制高通胀，后者曾在2022年6月飙升至9.1%。他向选民承诺将降低汽油价格并释放强劲增长。“凭借你们在这次选举中的选票，我将终结通胀，”他发誓道。
While running in 2024, Trump hammered President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, his Democratic opponent in the election, for high inflation, which climbed as high as 9.1% in June 2022. He promised voters he would lower gasoline prices and unlock roaring growth. “With your vote in this election, I will end inflation,” he vowed.
在不到两年的时间里，特朗普对美国经济进行了激进重塑。他对许多贸易伙伴——包括欧盟、印度、日本、加拿大和墨西哥——征收两位数关税，并与盟友引发贸易战。美国政府现在持有几十家私营公司的股份。他签署成为法律的广泛减税法案。
In less than two years, Trump has aggressively remodeled the U.S. economy. He’s slapped double-digit tariffs on many trading partners — including the European Union, India, Japan, Canada and Mexico — and sparked trade wars with allies. The U.S. government now holds stakes in several dozen private companies. He’s signed broad income tax cuts into law.
但持续的通胀挑战依然存在，掩盖了经济持续增长和低失业率的积极因素。特朗普就职时通胀率为3%，上个月升至3.7%。
But the persistent challenge of inflation has continued, overshadowing the positives of continued economic growth and a low unemployment rate. Inflation was 3% when Trump took office and reached 3.7% last month .
总统淡化通胀的严重程度，声称通胀低于2%且“受到控制”。民主党抓住民众不满，利用此前击垮他们的高生活成本议题，向脆弱的共和党人施压，使得特朗普甚至以两位数优势赢下的国会选区也变得摇摆不定。
The president has played down the intensity of inflation, claiming that it is under 2% and “under control.”Democrats have seized on the discontent, using the same high cost of living that sank them before to pressure vulnerable Republicans and put congressional districts Trump won by even double digits in play.
“现在请记住，他们承诺上任第一天就降价。相反，在失败的总统唐纳德·J·特朗普领导下，给卡车加油、填满冰箱、看病就医或为家庭供电的成本，比美国历史上任何时候都要高，”寻求连任的佐治亚州民主党参议员乔恩·奥索夫在最近亚特兰大的一场集会上说道。
“Now remember, they promised to lower prices on Day One. Instead, under the failed President Donald J. Trump, it costs more than ever in American history to fill up your truck, stock your fridge, visit the doctor or power your home,” said Georgia Sen. Jon Ossoff, a Democrat running for reelection, at a recent rally in Atlanta.
“你们越来越努力地工作，但跑步机的速度越来越快、坡度越来越陡，账单却越来越高，”他对人群说道。
“You work harder and harder, but the treadmill gets faster and steeper and the bills get higher and higher,” he told the crowd.
民主党人凯特·康利在纽约州挑战共和党众议员迈克·劳勒，后者是该党最脆弱的在任议员之一。康利回溯了劳勒在上届中期选举时发布的一条推文，当时拜登担任总统。劳勒曾建议选民“把油箱加满去买菜——这会帮你做决定。”
Cait Conley, a Democrat running in New York against Republican Rep. Mike Lawler, one of his party’s most vulnerable incumbents, harkened back to his tweet from the last midterm elections, when Biden was president. Lawler had advised voters to “fill up your tank and go grocery shopping — it will inform your decision.”
在一则新广告中，康利表示，选民今年应该遵循这一建议，“然后告诉我这套体制是否为你服务”。“你值得更好的。不该这么难，”她说。
In a new ad, Conley said voters should follow that advice this year “and then tell me if the system’s working for you.”“You deserve better. It shouldn’t be this hard,” she says.
康利和其他候选人猛攻一个主题，民主党人认为这在本轮选举周期将特别有效：指责特朗普和其他共和党人通过腐败地推行有利于亿万富翁捐赠人、损害普通美国人利益的政策，加剧了选民的经济痛苦。
Conley and other candidates have pounded on a theme that Democrats believe will be especially effective this cycle: accusing Trump and other Republicans of compounding voters’ economic pain by corruptly pursuing policies that help their billionaire donors at the expense of everyday Americans.
“我知道你很沮丧。华盛顿政客发财了，你们却受损了。企业赚取巨额利润，你们的成本却在上涨，”北卡罗来纳州参议员候选人罗伊·库珀在一则于这个竞争激烈的州播出的广告中说。这其中特别聚焦于与伊朗的战争。
“I know you’re frustrated. Washington politicians get rich while you get hurt. Corporations make huge profits while your costs go up,” North Carolina Senate candidate Roy Cooper says in an ad airing in the competitive state. That has included a particular focus on the war with Iran.
“特朗普的海外战争每天耗费纳税人10亿美元，这是一场我们没有理由打的战争。我们的学校摇摇欲坠，工厂关门歇业，汽油价格飙升。但只要他们想打仗，就是十亿美元的空头支票，”密歇根州参议员候选人阿卜杜勒·赛义德在另一则广告中说。
“Trump’s war abroad costs taxpayers a billion dollars a day on a war we have no business fighting. Our schools crumble, our factories shutter, our gas prices skyrocket. But when they want war, billion-dollar blank checks,” says Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed in another spot.
“这位总统‘认为经济状况良好，因为他和家人让自己富了好几十亿美元，’”56岁的艾米·理查兹说，她曾是共和党人，自特朗普成为该党2016年提名人以来一直投民主党的票。
The president “thinks that the economy is doing well because he and his family have enriched themselves to the tune of several billion dollars,” said Amy Richards, 56, a onetime Republican who has voted Democratic since Trump became his party’s 2016 nominee.
理查兹周五站在德克萨斯州罗恩罗克镇的一个投票站外说：“‘他完全不知道靠工资单养家糊口是什么滋味，而且他也不在乎。’”与此同时，共和党试图将民主党描绘成极端派别，指出一个崛起的民粹主义派系，其中包括一些民主社会主义者。
“He has zero idea what it is like to receive a paycheck and have to feed yourself and your family,” said Richards, standing outside a polling place in her town of Round Rock, Texas, on Friday, “and he doesn’t care.”Republicans, meanwhile, have tried to cast Democrats as extreme, pointing to an ascendant populist wing that includes a number of Democratic socialists .
曾为特朗普竞选团队提供建议的穆尔表示，他希望共和党人能花更多时间谈论经济的优势，包括家庭收入中位数上升和股市创纪录，尽管他承认这些数字可能无法引起选民共鸣。
Moore, who advised Trump’s campaigns, said he wished Republicans would spend more time talking about the economy’s strengths, including rising median incomes and a record-setting stock market , even as he acknowledged those numbers might not resonate with voters.
“重要的是人们的感受，显然人们在经济上感到压力很大，”他说。
“What matters is how people feel, and clearly people are feeling stressed out financially,” he said.
一些特朗普支持者依然感到满意。57岁的雷内·布拉德是得克萨斯州罗恩罗克的一名行政助理，她认为经济“改善得相当好”。“当然我们看到汽油价格涨涨跌跌，但东西负担得起多了，”她说。
Some Trump supporters remain satisfied. Renee Blood, 57, an executive assistant in Round Rock, feels the economy has “improved quite well.”“Of course we see gas prices up and down, but things are much more affordable,” she said.
她计划投共和党的票，因为她担心如果民主党重掌大权，情况会变得更糟。
She plans to vote Republican because she worries things will get worse if Democrats return to power.
她说，特朗普的“黄金时代”或许还没到来，但“我们仍在为此努力”。科尔文于纽约发稿。美联社记者梅格·金纳德于南卡罗来纳州伊斯利、迈克·卡塔利尼于宾夕法尼亚州阿伦敦采写。
Trump’s golden age might not have arrived, she said, but “we are still working on it.”Colvin reported from New York. Associated Press writer Meg Kinnard in Easley, S.C.; Mike Catalini in Allentown, Pa.