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“President Donald Trump tried to reassure Americans that the U.S. economy was healthy at a campaign-style rally on Tuesday… Speaking at a Mount Pocono casino in northeastern Pennsylvania, Trump argued that his economic policies, including his imposition of widespread tariffs on imports, are creating jobs, boosting the stock market and attracting increased investment into the United States. ‘I have no higher priority than making America affordable again,’ Trump said…
“Trump took credit for bringing down gasoline and energy costs and the price of eggs. He was quick to blame his predecessor in the White House, Democrat Joe Biden, for high prices on other goods… Trump, in an excerpt from an interview with Politico released on Tuesday, was asked what grade he would give the economy. ‘A-plus-plus-plus-plus-plus,’ he replied.” Reuters
The left argues that Trump’s economic policies are exacerbating the affordability crisis.
“Addressing the affordability crisis became a centerpiece of Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign… But Trump has not delivered on that promise. Inflation is as high today as it was the day he took office. His signature economic initiative—the steepest tariffs on imported goods since the Great Depression—has, predictably, increased costs for American consumers. Job growth has slowed this year. Now public-approval ratings of the economy and Trump’s management of it mirror Biden’s anemic numbers…
“He is making the same fundamental mistake as Biden did: blundering down a highway of defiance, denial, and self-puffery. In speeches, interviews, and Truth Social posts, he lavishly promotes his record as an unalloyed success—an ‘economic miracle’—even as he tacitly acknowledges otherwise by blaming Biden, out of office for almost a year, for the economic discomfort that Americans feel.”
David Axelrod, The Atlantic
“There are the tariffs, which Trump levies chaotically, as an expression of his ego, even as his propagandists pretend there’s some grand economic theory behind his impulsive and constantly changing orders. Then there’s his deportation agenda, which is dramatically driving up costs in housing construction and agriculture labor markets…
“The self-inflicted inflationary pressure is hurting ordinary people. By combining all these factors, [the New York Times] calculated ‘an estimated net loss of $2,250 in 2025 spending power’ for the median American household — and that’s before the health care premium rise that’s coming… While he was out of office, it was much easier for Trump to sell glittery lies about how rich he could make everyone — if only he had power. Now that he has returned to the White House, people are expecting him to take action.”
Amanda Marcotte, Salon
“Trump and Vance promised their trade and immigration policies would usher in a new golden age, leading to a renaissance of new factories that would employ native-born workers… Yet manufacturing contracted for the ninth straight month in November… as factories face slumping orders and higher prices for inputs because of tariffs. Meanwhile, many executives tell us they plan to pass higher production costs along to consumers…
“Farmers are especially strained under this administration’s chaotic economic policies. Soybean growers face a third year of losses… The Trump administration’s promise of a multi-billion-dollar bailout for struggling farmers has yet to materialize. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins says ‘a bridge payment’ will be announced next week. But if tariffs are helpful, why do farmers need a bailout?”
Editorial Board, Washington Post
The right urges Trump to take affordability concerns more seriously.
The right urges Trump to take affordability concerns more seriously.
“[Trump’s] struggles with the economy are starting to tax his skills at political prestidigitation. As prices go up and jobs go down, Trump has made it clear that he doesn’t like what people are saying. ‘They just say the word,’ he said during his cabinet meeting. ‘It doesn’t mean anything to anybody. They just say it – affordability. I inherited the worst inflation in history. There was no affordability. Nobody could afford anything.’ They still can’t.”
Jacob Heilbrunn, Spectator World
“This is not the first time Trump has rolled out the argument that the problem in the American economy is that the nation’s parents are buying their daughters too many dolls. It was a bad, dumb, Bernie-Sanders-style, tone-deaf argument back in May, and it is still one now… In 2026, every Democratic is going to run on the message, ‘Elect me, and I will make life more affordable’…
“The Democratic agenda of higher taxes, higher spending, and more regulations will only make the cost of living more expensive, but that may not matter that much to many voters. All they will hear is someone talking about the problems they face. Meanwhile, the president will insist the economy is the greatest ever, and that you don’t need to buy your kids as many toys as you used to buy them.”
Jim Geraghty, National Review
“The prez can and should offer genuine assurances, but must admit the frustration is painfully real: Three-quarters of Americans view the economy negatively, a Fox News survey found last month. That’s up from the 70% who felt that way at the end of Joe Biden’s presidency. Nearly half say Trump’s policies have hurt the economy, vs. just 15% who say they’ve helped…
“The prez can and should explain that he inherited a mess, and point to how his policies are starting to turn things around, but when voters feel pain, they don’t take well to being told they’re just wrong… Trump certainly has some good economic news to tout: Average gas prices, for example, have fallen below $3 for the first time since May 2021; that’s likely just a first taste of how his energy policies will deliver for all, including by boosting manufacturing and other sectors that pay good wages.”
Editorial Board, New York Post
“Trump is making real progress… ‘Wages are rising faster than prices — this is so important,’ Fox Business’s Larry Kudlow, a former Trump economic adviser, said this week. ‘Wage income from the latest numbers is plus 5.3%. Now, the core personal consumption deflator — that’s the Fed’s inflation measure — is 2.7%. That means working folks’ take-home pay is now ahead of prices by 2.6%… In [Trump’s] first year, wages are already clobbering prices, and that’s the way it should be.’”
Byron York, Washington Examiner
