Even still, inflation is a lagging indicator... price of gas may not be fully in that 2.4% at this point

When the average voter thinks of inflation, they think of overall costs/expenses. Since Trump became president, health care, housing and gas prices have all gone up. Is that inflation, not necessary, but they are not differentiating between inflation and costs.

It probably doesn’t help that he keeps denying there’s any inflation at all.

if you run on "inflation is a Democrat hoax I can eliminate" then have any inflation at all you're bound to have people disapprove of how you lied about that