US President Donald Trump addressed America’s affordability concerns at a campaign rally in Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania, on Tuesday, saying that the prices have come down “tremendously.” He moved to reassure Americans frustrated by high living costs and dismissed Democrat’s criticism over inflation as a “hoax”. The event was a shift from his usual arguments about affordability, away from White House briefings and social media posts, into a more energetic campaign setting. Trump asserted that consumer prices are falling sharply. “Prices are coming down tremendously from the highest prices in the history of our country.” His remarks followed earlier claims made at the White House a day earlier, when he insisted, “We’re bringing prices way down,” and argued that Democrats had created the affordability crisis while he was “fixing it”.
Low confidence in Trump
The push comes at a difficult moment for Trump. Surveys in recent weeks show a drop in public confidence in his handling of the economy, even as the White House says it expects inflation to ease next year. And although he has promised to bring prices down quickly, only 33% of American adults approve of his economic management, according to a November survey by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. Following lacklustre Republican performances in last month’s off-cycle elections, administration officials have been trying to convince voters that the current cost pressures are unrelated to Trump’s policies. But price levels have remained stubborn, rising again after Trump introduced his “Liberation Day” tariffs in April. Businesses had warned that the sweeping import taxes could lead to higher consumer prices and reduced hiring, even as inflation had begun calming after hitting a 40-year peak in 2022. Trump has instead repeatedly blamed his Democratic predecessor, Joe Biden, for the problem. His appearance in Monroe County, a region that backed Biden in 2020 but swung to Trump in 2024, was closely watched for signs of how voters view his claims. The county, anchored by the tourism-driven Pocono Mountains and increasingly attractive to people priced out of New York City, is set to play a key role in next year’s fight for control of the US House. The rally was held indoors, a change from the larger venues Trump used last year. It also placed him squarely inside the district represented by Republican Rob Bresnahan, who won his 2024 House race by only about 1.5 percentage points and is now a key Democratic target. Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti is among those vying to challenge him.
‘A plus plus plus’ economy ?
Trump has continued to boast about economic performance even as many Americans struggle with rising costs. On a Politico podcast, he rated the economy “A-plus”, later amplifying that to “A-plus-plus-plus-plus-plus”. He has pointed to relaxed auto fuel efficiency standards and agreements aimed at lowering list prices for prescription drugs as evidence that he is easing pressures on consumers. He has also argued that significant cuts to the Federal Reserve’s benchmark interest rate would lower mortgage and auto-loan costs, despite concerns from critics that such moves could worsen inflation. National indicators show a mixed picture: the stock market has climbed this year, and economic growth appeared solid in the third quarter. Yet many households say the cost of housing, groceries, electricity, education and other essentials continues to erode their incomes. The administration maintains that inflation will subside next year, partly due to investment in artificial intelligence and manufacturing.Trump has repeatedly argued that concerns about affordability are being exaggerated for political effect. Speaking in the Oval Office earlier, he said “affordability is the greatest con job” by Democrats, insisting that his own past actions show he is the one genuinely addressing the issue. Go to Source
