Trump hits out at Biden over economic record

ASHEVILLE, United States — Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump tore into the Joe Biden administration's economic record on Wednesday, just days before Kamala Harris is set to unveil her plan for tackling living costs in her first major policy speech as the Democratic Party's presidential nominee.

In a rambling address that was light on specifics, Trump claimed his Democratic rival would spark another Great Depression if elected and pledged that he would instead send wages soaring and "make America affordable again".

"Under Kamala Harris and crooked Joe Biden, the American Dream is dead. You don't hear about the American Dream anymore — it's dead," Trump said in Asheville, a liberal enclave in the crucial swing state of North Carolina.

"Her radical liberal policies have caused horrific inflation, decimated the middle class and gutted the finances of millions and millions of American families."

Consumer inflation is one of the biggest issues of the campaign, but new government figures published on Wednesday showed it easing to 2.9 percent last month — its lowest since March 2021 — cheering those calling for a cut in interest rates.

Trump conceded that inflation was "starting to maybe get under control", but also claimed that Harris "has crackled as the American economy has burned", possibly meaning "cackled", a word he has used to describe her laugh.

Marginally more people trust Harris to handle the economy than Trump, according to a new University of Michigan poll, and she leads or ties the Republican in every battleground state except Nevada, according to the influential Cook Political Report.

But in another poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, Trump has advantages on the economy and immigration.

People in the United States are more likely to trust Trump over Harris when it comes to handling the economy or immigration, but the difference is slight — 45 percent say Trump is better positioned to handle the economy, while 38 percent say that about Harris. The difference is similar in handling immigration. Independents are about twice as likely to trust Trump over Harris on economic issues, and they give him the advantage on immigration as well.

Harris is due to roll out a much-anticipated plan on Friday in Raleigh, North Carolina, to lower costs of healthcare, housing and groceries for middle-class families and take on corporate price gouging.

Vance-Walz debate

On Wednesday, Democratic vice-presidential nominee Tim Walz said he has agreed to debate his Republican rival J. D. Vance on Oct 1, which is one of the dates for a debate proposed by CBS News.

The network said it has provided four dates for the debate: Sept 17, Sept 24, Oct 1 and Oct 8.

When asked about a possible debate, Vance told Fox News: "I strongly suspect we're going to be there on October the 1st." Vance also said he wanted to debate Walz more than once.

Harris and Trump are scheduled to debate on ABC News on Sept 10.

In another development, Trump has lost his latest bid for a new judge in his New York hush money criminal case as it heads toward a key ruling and potential sentencing next month.

In a decision on Wednesday, Judge Juan Merchan declined to step aside and said Trump's demand was a rehash "rife with inaccuracies and unsubstantiated claims" about his ability to remain impartial.

It is the third time that Merchan has rejected such a request from lawyers for the former president. They contend the judge has a conflict of interest because his daughter works as a political consultant for prominent Democrats, including Harris when she sought the Democrats'2020 presidential nomination.

Agencies Via Xinhua