Democrats are banking on voters forgetting how terrible they are. That is the message behind a new comparison of two midterm election cycles, and the numbers are stark enough to make the point without needing to repeat them.
On Oct. 3, 2022, the U.S. inflation rate stood at 8.3% under the Biden-Harris administration. Midterm elections were less than five weeks away. By the time those elections arrived, inflation had reached 9.1%, its highest level since 1982.
The Inflation Reduction Act was passed earlier that same year before inflation peaked at 9.1%. The law was sold as a solution to rising prices, and it did nothing of the kind. Inflation kept climbing anyway.
Fast forward to Oct. 3, 2026. The U.S. inflation rate is 3.4% under the Trump administration. The midterm elections are also less than five weeks away. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act was signed into law one year and three months prior to that date.
The Numbers Behind the Comparison
The contrast is the whole story:
- Inflation under Biden-Harris peaked at 9.1%, its highest level since 1982.
- Inflation under Trump sits at 3.4%.
- The Inflation Reduction Act was passed before inflation hit 9.1%.
- The One Big Beautiful Bill Act made the Trump tax cuts permanent.
The gap between the two administrations is not subtle. One left voters facing the highest inflation in four decades. The other left voters with inflation under 4%.
What the Laws Actually Did
The Inflation Reduction Act was sold as a fix for rising costs. It was not. Inflation climbed past 9.1% after the law passed.
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act took a different approach. It made the Trump tax cuts permanent.
Neither law was a silver bullet. One failed to stop inflation. The other changed the tax code.
The Political Stakes
Midterms are coming in both years. The question is whether voters remember what each side delivered.
Democrats are betting on forgetfulness. They are hoping voters overlook the 9.1% peak under Biden-Harris. The comparison is their gamble: voters will remember the law that passed before inflation peaked, not the peak itself.
The comparison is a record of what happened under each administration. It is not an argument for either side. It is a reminder that political promises about prices often miss the mark.
What the Comparison Shows
The comparison is not an endorsement of either president. It is a record of what happened under each.
Democrats can argue that the Inflation Reduction Act addressed climate and health care. They can say the One Big Beautiful Bill Act benefited some workers and families. Those arguments are valid, but they do not erase the inflation record.
The comparison shows that a law passed before inflation peaks may look good on paper. It may not change the outcome.
The Takeaway
Voters have a choice. They can remember the 9.1% peak under Biden-Harris. Or they can remember the 3.4% rate under Trump.
The comparison is a reminder that political promises about prices often miss the mark. A law passed before inflation peaks may look good on paper. It may not change the outcome.
The Record of Two Administrations
The comparison is not a verdict. It is a record of two administrations, two laws, and two very different outcomes. Voters will decide which record matters more when they step into the polling booth.
Here is the record, in order:
- Inflation under Biden-Harris peaked at 9.1%, its highest level since 1982.
- The Inflation Reduction Act was passed before inflation hit 9.1%.
- The One Big Beautiful Bill Act was signed into law one year and three months prior to Oct. 3, 2026.
- The U.S. inflation rate is 3.4% under the Trump administration.
- Midterm elections are less than five weeks away in both years.
That is the whole story. One administration faced a historic inflation peak and passed a law that did not stop it. The other administration saw inflation fall to 3.4% and passed a law that changed the tax code.
Democrats are banking on voters forgetting how terrible they are. The comparison is their bet: voters will remember the law that passed before inflation peaked, not the peak itself.
Where the paper stands
The paper backs the middle class and small businesses carrying the economy, and is against government funds that favor the biggest players and park public money where citizens have no say, including the Inflation Reduction Act which was sold as a solution to rising prices but failed to stop inflation from reaching its highest level since 1982. The law did nothing to stop inflation from climbing past 9.1%, its highest level since 1982, and the comparison here shows exactly that failure.
The record is clear: one law passed before inflation peaked, and inflation kept climbing anyway. The paper’s position is simple: economic policy should serve the middle class and small business, not park public money where citizens have no say. When a law fails to stop inflation, it fails that test.
Voters should watch for promises about prices that miss the mark. A law passed before inflation peaks may look good on paper. It may not change the outcome.
See the a run of 14 images at the Washington Examiner.
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