CNBC Poll: Inflation Surpasses Coronavirus as Number One National Concern 

Inflation has surpassed the coronavirus as the number one concern for Americans, a Friday CNBC poll revealed.

The Labor Department announced Friday that runaway inflation reached a 40 year high in November, and Americans have marked inflation as the top national concern, transplanting coronavirus, crime, and immigration.

Prices have increased across the board. Gasoline, food products, housing, shipping, electronics, and energy prices have all risen, offsetting workers’ wages.

A November poll found a majority of Americans blame Biden for inflation, while 77 percent indicated inflation was impacting their lives, including a majority of both Republicans and Democrats.

Inflation replacing coronavirus as the top concern will likely negatively impact the Biden-Harris administration. Biden’s top polling topic has been the virus. For instance, polling in January of 2021 suggested Biden had a 61 to 29 percent approval rating on the topic.

Candidate Biden promised to shut the virus down during the 2020 campaign, but data shows more people have died under Biden’s presidency than under former President Donald Trump’s. As a result, Biden now stands five points underwater on coronavirus.

With inflation surging as the top concern of Americans, the White House will likely have to engage in inflation mitigation messaging, a less popular topic for the president than coronavirus.

Fifty-seven percent of Americans blame Biden for inflation, two percentage points worse than coronavirus.

Follow Wendell Husebø on Twitter @WendellHusebø