Voters doubt Biden economy, citing high grocery prices and interest rates: 'We still can't afford things'

Voters continue to question the economy under President Biden as they debate who to support in the presidential election, citing high grocery prices and mortgage rates. 

The Washington Post spoke to voters in Phoenix, Georgia, Milwaukee and Las Vegas about the economy and who they plan to vote for in 2024. 

Daniel Busby, from Las Vegas, did not vote in the 2016 and 2020 elections and is unsure about voting for Biden in 2024. He told The Post that they had to put their plan to purchase a home on hold, due to continuous rising costs. 

"We work full-time hours, but we still can’t afford things. You think, ‘I work full time. I should be able to afford a house,'" he said. "I don’t want to come home one day and then realize I have to pack up and leave. It’s that sense of stability we’re missing."

U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks on the September jobs report at the White House on October 06, 2023 in Washington, D.C.  ((Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images))

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When Biden took office, the average monthly mortgage payment in Las Vegas was near $1,200 and now sits at $2,350 per month, the media outlet reported.

A barber based in Milwaukee, Ceree Huley, told the Washington Post his shop used to be full on Thursdays, before the COVID-19 pandemic hit. 

"I don’t know what the reason they’re not here… A lot of people are going to do it to themselves," Huley told The Post, referring to haircuts. "Or are they hiding from the costs of the prices that went up 10 dollars or 5 dollars? That could be a factor, too."

However, the outlet reported, Huley doesn't blame Biden. One of his customers, Zontayveon Mosley, told the outlet that he would consider voting for Trump in 2024 and specifically took issue with Biden's support for sending aid to other countries. 

People shop in a supermarket as rising inflation affects consumer prices in Los Angeles, California, U.S.  (REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson)

"Like giving billions of dollars to support others, when we have people that can’t eat, we have people that can’t pay bills, it’s just insane to me," he said. "I feel like most Black people just lean towards Democrats. But I don’t know, entering the workforce and making money, I own a home. I’ve got to worry about interest rates and all of that. I feel like Trump is a better businessman."

For the average person, he said it was "hard to keep up." 

Another voter, William Robinson, told the outlet that he wouldn't vote for Biden or Trump in 2024, and described them as "pretty much the same." 

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Some voters said despite the higher prices, they would still vote for Biden over Trump if it ends up being a rematch. A voter in Phoenix, Arizona, told The Post that it was normal for her to visit three grocery stores per week, to track down the best prices, and said she was paying more for groceries than before.

She voted for Biden in 2020 and pushed her coworkers to vote for him as well. She said they "taunt" her for pushing Biden in 2020.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump waves to the crowd on the field during halftime in the Palmetto Bowl between Clemson and South Carolina at Williams Brice Stadium on November 25, 2023, in Columbia, South Carolina. (Sean Rayford/Getty Images)

"They tell me things like, ‘Look at the gas. It hasn’t gone down at all since your Biden came into power.’ Your Biden, they tell me," she said. "They say the same with a box of eggs or a gallon of milk. ‘Now that your Biden is around, the prices are up and the salaries don’t match it.’"

"And what can I say? Yes, it’s true," she continued. "Everything has gone up in price."

However, she said if it's a choice between Biden and Trump, she would reluctantly vote for the current president again. 

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The president has blamed the media for voters' negative feelings about the economy. In December, Biden told reporters to start "reporting it the right way."