Texas residents express frustration with the economy, trust Trump more than Harris

Fox News Digital spoke with residents just south of Houston, Texas this week about the economy and who they trust more between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump to boost the economy as president.

After shopping at Costco, local residents expressed frustration with current overall costs and the economy as a whole, both on and off camera. 

“All the prices have gone up,” Melissa told Fox News Digital. 

“No, it’s not doing well at all,” said another resident, originally from Egypt.

Ralph said the economy has resulted in increased costs for his family, stating, “I think inflation is out of control. Housing and interest rates are out of control. Grocery trips have doubled. And a good grocery trip used to be like 150-125. Now an average grocery trip is now 250-300.”

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Locals also shared who they feel will best handle the economy as president. 

“When Trump was in office, you know, things were doing well,” said Mark.

Ralph said he “definitely” trusts Trump more to tackle the economy. 

“I don’t think Kamala even knows what’s going on. I think she’s a puppet,” he said. “He’s got a proven track record, hoping he gets back in and rescuing this Harris economy.”

Another resident also said she trusts the former president more: “Trump, because he’s the only businessman that’s capable of running our country.” 

Mark cited Trump’s time in office compared to the current Biden-Harris administration as a reason for trusting the former president.

“Trump because of what he did the last time, who was in office and what the current administration, what’s happened with the current administration over the past four years,” he said. “If it’s not broke, don’t fix it. You know, they tried to fix it. So here we are today.”

No Republican presidential candidate has lost Texas since 1976, but the state has become increasingly competitive in recent elections. Trump won it by less than six points in 2020, a sharp contrast from just 12 years ago when Mitt Romney carried the state by nearly 16.

The economy remains the top issue on the minds of American voters as they prepare to cast their ballot in the presidential election.

A September Fox News national poll also in the field entirely post-debate spotlighted that 39% of voters surveyed said the economy was their most pressing issue, far ahead of immigration (16%) and abortion (15%). All other issues tested were in single digits. 

While the nation’s economic recovery from the pandemic continues, inflation remains a leading concern among Americans.

The former president’s up 13 points over the vice president in a post-debate survey from the New York Times and Siena College, and favored by 7 points in an ABC News Ipsos survey also conducted after the showdown.

But Trump’s advantage over Harris on the economy stands at only 5 points in the Fox News poll, and just 2 points in the AP/NORC survey.

Harris has touted what she calls the “opportunity economy” and said her administration will crack down on price gouging and also lower taxes for middle-class Americans. Trump has pointed to economic performance under his administration as successful and that a return to office would bring back those days.

The Harris ticket was buoyed on Friday by a strong September jobs report. Also, striking U.S. dockworkers returned to work Friday after reaching a tentative agreement with employers on an improved wage offer.

Elizabeth Heckman reported from Texas. Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser and Bradford Betz contributed to this report.