Trump’s focus on the press distracts Republicans from pocketbook issues ahead of Election Day

WASHINGTON — Zigzagging from issue to issue, President Donald Trump has left his political allies struggling to keep pace with his pronouncements and lost precious time to drive a compelling message ahead of the midterm congressional elections, Republican strategists and people who’ve worked with him said.

The takeaway from recent polling is that voters worry most about high prices and the cost of living. But Trump has at times veered off pocketbook issues and made moves that are peripheral to the top-of-mind concerns of voters who will soon decide which party controls Congress.

The latest instance of Trump stepping on his party’s own messaging came on Friday.

In the hour before he held an Oval Office event focused on reducing prescription drug prices, Trump announced he was barring three news outlets from the White House grounds because he disliked their coverage. That caught even some members of his own staff off guard.

The media ban has dominated the news cycle for days, and rather than steer the conversation back to the savings Americans would reap from his policies, Trump amplified the furor.

Some Republican candidates in competitive races are increasingly distancing themselves from the president, believing that voters want a…

Original source: https://www.nbcnews.com/business