It is a political challenge as tough as any in the modern era: inflation.

This week, President Donald Trump may have made the issue even more challenging for himself and his Republican Party as they gear up for next fall’s midterm congressional elections.

Almost 11 months into his second term, President Trump began the week by giving the economy a superlative grade: “A-plus-plus-plus-plus-plus.”

Why We Wrote This

With his approval rating for economic leadership dropping in polls, President Trump has tried to downplay voters’ concerns about affordability. The same problem that tripped up Joe Biden is now dogging Mr. Trump.

Then, in a speech Tuesday in rural Pennsylvania billed as the launch of an “affordability tour” aimed at reassuring voters about the economy, Mr. Trump mocked the i

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