President Joe Biden this morning took his plan to fight inflation straight to voters in a speech the White House hopes will demonstrate its number-one economic priority is lowering prices at the gas pump, grocery store and pharmacy — and everywhere in between.

The president acknowledged that things are bad and reaffirmed his belief that the pandemic and war in Ukraine are the two main drivers of inflation.

But he also made it clear that they would be worse without the steps he’s taken to, as he often says, give folks a little breathing room.

Biden also sounded the alarm that, unless you’re wealthy or a corporate business executive, life would be worse if Republicans reclaimed majorities after the November midterms.

“I know you’ve got to be frustrated. I know. I can taste it. Frustrated by high prices, by gridlock in Congress, by the time it takes to get anything done,” he said. “But the fact is congressional Republicans — not all of them, but the MAGA Republicans — are counting on you to be as frustrated by the pace, which they have done everything they can to slow down, that you’re going to hand power over to them so they can enact their extreme agenda.”

The president during the speech