GOP opens edge on economy, crime ahead of midterms: POLL

Americans trust that Republicans would do a better job on a key set of issues, with across-the-board, double-digit edges on inflation, the economy, gas prices and crime, according to a new ABC News/Ipsos poll.

Inflation sees one of the larger gulfs – with 36% of Americans trusting the GOP and 21% trusting Democrats. Similar gaps exist around gas prices, with 36% of Americans trusting Republicans and 22% trusting Democrats, the poll shows.

Broadly considering the state of the economy, 36% of Americans trust Republicans to do a better job while 24% trust Democrats – a potentially grim tell for the left, who currently cling to razor-thin majorities in the House and Senate.

Regarding crime, a key closing issue for the GOP in the campaign cycle, Republicans also enjoy a solid advantage – with 35% of respondents trusting them over the 22% who put faith in the Democrats.

The public is much more evenly split on immigration, with Republicans trusted to do a better job by 35% of Americans compared to 32% who prefer the Democrats, the new poll shows. Americans are also relatively split on taxes, with 30% saying Republicans would do a better job versus 28% for the Democrats.

These leads for Republicans have numerically solidified somewhat since August, per the ABC News/Ipsos poll conducted using Ipsos’ KnowledgePanel, after both parties flooded the market with a barrage of ads, with the right painting Biden and his party as soft on crime, weak on immigration and squarely responsible for higher prices at the pump and at the grocery store.

Just last week at the White House, President Joe Biden acknowledged the price crunch, as he announced the release of 15 million barrels of oil from the Strategic Oil Reserve in hopes to drive down the cost of gas.

“Families are hurting. You’ve heard me say it before, but I get it. I come from a family, if the price of gasoline went up at the gas station, we felt it. Gas prices hit almost every family in this country, and they squeezed their family budgets. When the price of gas goes up, other expenses get cut,” said Biden.

Democrats aren’t entirely underwater, however — seeing leads in voter trust concerning COVID-19, climate change, gun violence and abortion. Access to abortion services has been front-and-center of the Democratic messaging since the fall of Roe v. Wade, as the White House and other party leaders hope to build a blue wall to combat an anticipated “red wave” of Republican wins.

But recent polls including from Pew Research Center, suggest that the key issues their party champions are less likely to be prioritized as voting has begun in midterm races across the country. An overwhelming majority — 79% — told Pew that the economy is “very important” and 61% said violent crime is also…