Republicans are heading into the midterms with a huge advantage — a strong economy that is finally working for American families. Under President Trump and a GOP Congress, growth is up, inflation is down, wages are rising, and businesses are investing again. After years of economic pain, Americans are starting to feel real relief. Yet, too many Republicans are failing to make the case.
As Larry Kudlow recently said on X: “The GOP needs to tout the red-hot economy at every campaign stop. There’s a business boom, a productivity boom, and Trump Accounts and wages are outstripping inflation. But it’s a story that’s got to be told over and over again.” He’s exactly right. The economy is the GOP’s strongest issue. But if Republicans don’t talk about it — clearly, confidently, and repeatedly — voters won’t connect the dots.
The numbers are strong. After stagnation under Joe Biden, the economy is growing again. According to the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, real GDP grew at an annualized rate of roughly 4.2 to 5.4 percent in the fourth quarter of 2025 — well above the long-term average. That kind of growth means paychecks, opportunity, and optimism. It’s the result of lower taxes, fewer regulations, and policies that reward work and investment.
Inflation, which crushed families just two years ago, has fallen sharply. Under Biden, inflation peaked near 9 percent, the highest level in four decades. Today, it’s back near the Federal Reserve’s 2 percent target. That’s not an abstract statistic — it’s fewer painful tradeoffs at the grocery store and the gas pump. Families who were drowning under rising prices are finally getting their heads above water.
Even better, wages are now rising faster than prices. Over the past year, real average hourly earnings have been up about 1 to 2 percent, while real disposable personal income is growing at an annualized rate above 3 percent. That means workers are no longer losing ground to inflation.
For blue-collar and middle-income Americans, this is the first sustained period of real wage gains in years.
Business investment is surging as well. Real nonresidential fixed investment is growing at a solid mid-single-digit pace, with companies pouring money into factories, equipment, energy, and technology. Manufacturing construction is near record levels as firms reshore supply chains and expand production here at home. This isn’t government stimulus or temporary sugar highs — it’s private capital responding to pro-growth policies that make the U.S. a better place to invest and create jobs.
Most importantly, voters are starting to feel it. A new Rasmussen poll shows 32 percent of Americans say their personal finances are getting better, while 30 percent say they’re getting worse — a significant improvement from just weeks earlier. Even more striking, personal financial optimism is now at its highest level in five years. That’s how economic turnarounds begin: not with headlines, but with households noticing they’re finally moving forward instead of falling behind.
Republicans need to hammer the contrast. Under Biden and the Democrats, Americans suffered the worst inflation in 40 years, shrinking real wages, and weak private investment. Families watched their savings evaporate while Washington told them the economy was “strong.” Voters remember that pain — and they know who was in charge.
Taxes should be front and center. The Big Beautiful Bill extended Trump-era middle-class tax cuts, protected small businesses, ended taxes on tip income, repealed taxes on Social Security benefits, and created Trump Accounts — long-term investment accounts with a $1,000 government contribution for children born over the next four years. For many families, that means thousands of dollars back in their pockets each year. Republicans should stop talking in abstractions and start putting real families on stage who can say, “This helped us.”
Republicans should also stay aggressive on affordability. Inflation is down and wages are up because conservative economic policies work — but there’s more to do. Reconciliation should be used to increase competition in health care, lower costs through transparency, and cut the red tape that makes housing more expensive.
Finally, Congress should enact President Trump’s $2,000 tariff rebate. Returning tariff revenue directly to American households offsets higher import costs, supports domestic manufacturing, and puts cash straight into consumers’ wallets — without adding to the deficit. That’s smart, pro-worker policy.
In the end, elections come down to one question: Are you better off than you were before? For a growing number of Americans, the answer is finally yes. With strong growth, falling inflation, rising wages, and renewed investment, Republicans have a powerful story to tell. If they tell it — forcefully and without apology — the economy will decide who controls Congress in 2026.
Cesar Conda, a former Chief of Staff to former Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL), is a Founding Principal of Navigators Global and an Economic Advisory Board Member of Unleash Prosperity Now.
Editor’s Note: The 2026 Midterms will determine the fate of President Trump’s America First agenda. Republicans must maintain control of both chambers of Congress.
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