PANews reported on February 7th that, according to Jinshi, Trump has consistently portrayed himself as the Republican Party's leading voice on the cost of living issue. Since December of last year, Trump has delivered five speeches on the economy, claiming nearly 20 times that inflation has been controlled or significantly reduced, and nearly 30 times that prices are falling. These claims contradict the nearly 3% inflation rate over the past year and voters' firsthand experience of paying higher prices for necessities. For example, since Trump took office a year ago, beef prices have risen by 18%, while coffee powder prices have risen by 29%. Republican strategists say that Trump's contradictory messages on issues most important to voters could damage his and the Republican Party's credibility ahead of the November midterm elections, when control of Congress will be tested. Polls show that American voters are deeply dissatisfied with Trump's economic policies.