We'll look at what Tuesday's vote means for both parties and how the Supreme Court views President Trump's tariffs. We're also looking forward to seeing what happens next with the shutdown.
SCOTT SIMON, HOST:
The US government shutdown enters its 39th day. Yes, this is the longest period in US history. And this week, Democrats scored solid victories in the governor's races of New Jersey and Virginia, among many others. NPR senior political commentator Ron Elving joins us from Milwaukee. Ron, thank you so much for being with us.
RON ELVING, BYLINE: Good to be with you, Scott.
SIMON: What's your understanding of what you think a lot of voters were saying?
ELVING: The general idea was that they wanted to see more positive changes in their personal circumstances – more emphasis on prices, jobs and the economic future. And that message was abundantly clear in groups of voters across all states, not just in New York, New Jersey, California and Virginia, but also in less visible races in Pennsylvania, Georgia and even Mississippi. And yes, blue cities and blue states voted blue, but the groups of voters who leaned toward Trump and the GOP in those states stopped leaning that way—young voters, non-college voters, Latinos and other people of color.
So we've reached the first turning point in Trump's second term. And this is no longer the summer when Trump carries everything before him, testing the limits of his office and no one can stand up to him. Voters have now spoken their minds. The courts are resisting. There are internal divisions within Trump's coalition, and even some of his supporters in Congress are looking for room to maneuver. So Republicans need to figure out how they will run and win without Trump on the ballot to identify their share of the electorate.
SIMON: At the end of the day, does economics, economics, economics matter?
ELVING: We don't have the usual government numbers because of the lockdown, but we do have private agencies that are measuring the number of people losing their jobs, and some of their reports suggest that we're approaching recession-level job losses. The University of Michigan Consumer Confidence Index, a national indicator, is nearing its low point. And then there's the new buzzword of the year: accessibility. A Washington Post/ABC News/Ipsos poll conducted in late October found that 7 in 10 Americans say their grocery costs have increased over the past year, and 6 in 10 say the same about utility prices. However, the president sees things differently. Here he talks to reporters about Walmart's Thanksgiving gift package and seems to equate a certain holiday event with the state of the economy.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Walmart just announced this two days ago – 25% off. It will be cheaper to spend Thanksgiving this year than it was a year ago under sleepy Joe Biden.
ELVING: The president doesn't mention that Walmart's Thanksgiving special has significantly fewer items this year. Most of these are store-bought rather than branded items, which means they tend to cost less. This is a classic case of shrinkage where the product becomes smaller.
SIMON: So after this weekend, the closure will last 40 days and 40 nights, the longest in history, and it's getting longer. What are you looking forward to in the coming days?
ELVING: It will be even worse. People will have trouble getting these food stamps because, with the courts trying to restore full benefits and the administration saying it will comply even as it appeals the decision to the Supreme Court, it will take time to sort out this whole mess. Before this, the air traffic control system was already dangerously overloaded, which is why we see some airports in chaos and thousands of flights cancelled.
It's hard to imagine congressional Republicans getting a deal done at this point without Trump, and it's hard to imagine doing so without the House returning to town for formal session in Washington. And right now, Speaker Mike Johnson still refuses to do so, remembering, no doubt, that it would mean swearing in a new member of the Democratic Party elected six weeks ago, making it highly likely that the House will vote to release the Jeffrey Epstein files that Johnson has blocked.
SIMON: NPR's Ron Elving. It's very nice to talk to you, my friend. We'll talk to you next week. Take care.
ELVING: Thank you, Scott.
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