In a recent CNN interview, David Axelrod, a Democratic strategist and former member of Barack Obama’s administration, criticized President Joe Biden’s economic messaging. Axelrod suggested that Biden should focus more on addressing the concerns of Americans regarding the cost of living, rather than emphasizing the strength of the economy. He emphasized the importance of leading with empathy to connect with voters and avoid losing the White House.
Axelrod’s comments were in response to Biden’s remarks in a CNN interview where he highlighted the strength of the economy and questioned the validity of polls that showed Americans trusted former President Donald Trump more on economic issues.
While acknowledging the strong economy, Axelrod and Scott Jennings, a former Republican political director and CNN panelist, criticized Biden for lacking empathy in his messaging, calling it a “terrible mistake” and “incredibly weak.”
Recent polling data from Gallup showed that more people have confidence in Trump than Biden when it comes to economic decision-making, marking one of the lowest ratings for a sitting president. Axelrod, who served as a senior adviser in the Obama administration and chief strategist for Obama’s campaigns, currently works as a political commentator for CNN.
Despite facing challenges in economic messaging, Biden has managed to narrow the polling gap with Trump in recent days. His average national polling deficit decreased from 1.1 points on Sunday to 0.6 points on Thursday, showing signs of improvement in his campaign.
