Democratic wins Trump's 'let them eat cake' attitude alienated voters

Perhaps the most revealing postmortem on the Republicans' election night meltdown came from JD Vance. After a night in which Democratic governors were elected in New Jersey and Virginia after they focused on the rising cost of living, and a New York mayor swept to power with a campaign built on housing access, the vice-president showed a particular kind of remorse.

- David Smith Washington

"We need to focus on the home front," he wrote on X. "The president has done a lot that has already paid off in lower interest rates and lower inflation, but we inherited a disaster from Joe Biden and Rome wasn't built in a day."

Vance's plea may be seen as an ever-so-careful and delicate rebuke of his boss, Donald Trump, who has spent the past month gallivanting around the world - he claims to have ended eight wars - and pursuing his dream of a $300m (£230m) White House ballroom.

It's the economy, stupid, as the timeworn saying goes, and affordability in particular. The age of aspiration has given way to the age of anxiety. The price of incumbency is that restless voters always believe the grass is greener on the other side.

A year ago Democrats were punished for "bad vibes" around the cost of living for the middle class, however much they protested that the economic data was positive. In that climate Trump represented change: at rally after rally, he promised to lower prices from day one. Many voters felt it was worth taking a gamble in case he was right.