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The prominent Republican contender and 45th President, Donald Trump, penned a thought-provoking op-ed this Wednesday. The article was aimed at the numerous young Americans who are evidently growing frustrated with President Joe Biden’s policy failures.
These policies, according to Trump, have resulted in increased poverty, basic needs becoming increasingly unaffordable, and the gradual erosion of the quintessential American dream: forming a family and owning one’s house.
The op-ed begins with an assessment of the growing discontent among young Americans towards President Biden, who at 81 years of age is grappling to win their approval. In light of recent data outlined in an NBC News poll, Trump appears to be winning over the youth, with 46 percent support among 18 to 34-year-olds, contrasted to Biden’s 42 percent.
Trump uses his written piece to suggest that this significant shift in popular sentiment is largely down to the deficiencies in Biden’s economic measures. These measures, he argues, are in stark contrast to the booming economy experienced from 2017 to 2019 during his tenure.
Trump highlights that the growth of annual incomes, as well as lower gas and inflation rates experienced during his time in office, has been unfortunately replaced with the complete opposite under Biden’s administration.
Young Americans have been forced to shoulder the burden of these policy failures, suffering from crippling inflation, soaring prices, skyrocketing interest rates, unaffordable housing, and mounting crime rates.
Throughout Biden’s reign, the real income per family is reported to have decreased by $7,400 on average. Gas prices have soared to a disconcerting $7 a gallon in certain regions. Inflation has cumulatively hit 18 percent, and mortgage rates needlessly harsh at around seven percent, making the prospect of home ownership an insurmountable dream for many young Americans.
In juxtaposition, Trump reminded his audience of the times when, during his administration, the 30-year mortgage rate fell to a record low of 2.65 percent. This made the prospect of home ownership an attainable reality for median-income American families.
However, with Biden’s economically disastrous policies, interest rates have spiraled out of control, pushing home ownership further out of reach for Americans, particularly younger generations.
The impact of these economic troubles goes beyond being unable to purchase property. There is a growing trend of delays in tying the knot and starting families among young people primarily due to the high cost of living in modern American society.
Recent research suggests that an astounding three quarters of Generation Z and Millennial couples believe that financially, marriage is currently unattainable. Further studies in 2022 found that financial issues are the predominant reason behind the increasing dropout rates among American students.
Trump further articulated that due to the skyrocketing costs of living, a significant proportion of younger individuals are deferring major life events like marriage and starting families. Notably, the DC Enquirer reported that inflation has caused a 17 percent surge in prices since Biden took his oath of office, while the average hourly wage has merely grown by 13.6 percent.
A more careful examination of American family spending reveals that most of the increases have been concentrated in necessities like food, transportation, housing, and energy.
This trend has led to paycheck-to-paycheck living becoming the norm for low and middle-class Americans. The perilous financial standing of American families is further exaggerated as credit card debt has registered its highest-ever figure, surpassing $930 billion.
Such a precarious financial condition has increased the cost of living since Biden’s inauguration by an impressive average of $11,434. The figure effectively quantifies the scope of the additional financial burden borne by American families to maintain the same standard of living as they did in 2021.
Trump posits that instead of ushering young Americans into a promising future filled with opportunities to start their lives, careers, and families, Biden’s administration is effectively shattering their dreams with debt, taxes, and rampant inflation. It’s paving the path to a bleak future marked by frustration and hopelessness.
The evidence of this desolate future is apparent in the astonishing average price tag for a new car, hovering around $50,000, with the mean monthly car payment nearing a whopping $750. Such figures serve as evidence of Hindering progress, rather than facilitating it, seems to be the modus operandi under Biden’s rule, says Trump.
To close, Trump takes the opportunity to highlight the escalation in crime rates in major urban areas, the severe affordability crisis young families face when attempting to buy homes, and the increasingly debilitating impact of drug misuse and addiction on the younger demographic of Americans.
