The irony is that the Fox interviewer basically handed GOP Sen. Jon Husted an opportunity to address the exact concern reflected in Fox's own polling, and Husted responded by leaning even harder into Trump.
Fox's August poll found that 51% of Ohio voters were concerned Husted was too close to Trump, compared with 44% who had the same concern about Brown and the Democratic establishment. Fox also found Brown leading Husted 53%-45% in that survey.
When asked about that, Husted immediately went to: “So look, the president won Ohio three times, by 8, 8, and 11 points. He won the last time by 11 points.”
Well, according to a recent Marist poll, Trump's job approval rating among Ohio registered voters is 42%, while 56% disapprove of how the president is doing his job.
Still, Husted persisted.
“The Ohio voters don't want Kamala Harris or Joe Biden, and it's, look, it's always tougher in a midterm election once you're governing, but Donald Trump is fighting for lower prices, he's fighting for a stronger economy, and again, I want to celebrate the working family tax cut plan, which no tax on tips, no tax on overtime, no tax on Social Security, a $2,200 tax credit for working families,” he insisted.
“These are things that we've done to help make life more affordable by letting people keep more of what they earn to spend and save on their priorities,” he added.
The tax package includes provisions for deductions on qualified tips and overtime, as well as an enhanced deduction for seniors. However, critics and labor economists label it a "scam" or deceptive marketing for several concrete reasons.
Whether those measures have actually made life more affordable is questionable. In that same recent Marist poll, 41% of Ohio registered voters said their personal finances had gotten worse over the past year, compared with just 19% who said their financial situation had improved.
Republicans will face a judgment in November. When one party puts a ballroom for President Twinkle Toes to dance on over Americans struggling to put food on the table, that party will get a very loud wake-up call.
