President Trump took his midterm blitz to Ohio on Saturday with gas prices in the state up 35% over the past year to $4.16 a gallon on average, according to AAA.
Trump got ahead of the issue Thursday, telling Texas truck plant workers: "Everyone thinks that the prices are high because of me, but they're not." He said he needs to do a better job touting the country's economic progress, and the administration points to broader gains while arguing the price pressures predate its policies.
Canadian retaliatory tariffs have also hit about $3 billion worth of Ohio exports, per a CBC report — fallout from the trade fight Trump says is necessary leverage. With one month until the midterms, the White House is betting its economic message lands before voters do.