Peter Baker: Harris’ Not Going to Win the Economic Argument Against Trump Because People Aren’t Feeling It in Their Lives

RUSH TRANSCRIPT:
WITT: “Let’s bring in Peter Baker. Chief White House correspondent for The New York Times and co- author of the divider, Trump and the White House 2017 to 2021. Welcome. Harris agenda, her economic agenda is getting mixed reviews today. You have the Washington Post editorial board which called some ideas gimmicks while an op- ed in the Atlantic says the proposals economically dumb but politically smart. What is the broad political calculation on this rollout and how much do the economics matter if it is a political winner?”

BAKER: “They want to be able to say they have a plan. They didn’t like the criticism that she had it been specific on any substance and she’s been all about these rallies so they want to be able to say we have a plan, we have outlined it. I think they understand that’s probably not where the election is going to be thought out. The generational change argument she’s making is probably the more powerful one reminding voters who didn’t like Trump and 2020 why they may not like him in 2024. The specifics of the plan they are not going to win the economic argument against Trump because people aren’t feeling it in their lives even though the statistics are pretty good right now in terms of inflation and unemployment and so forth. Rather than the ways the battle on territory the polls show Trump is strongest they want ways to battle on areas they feel he’s weakest.”