Copyright The Daily Beast
Panicked advisers to Donald Trump are reportedly urging the president to stop dismissing Americans’ financial anxieties and insisting there is no cost-of-living crisis. White House officials have advised Trump not to brush off voter concerns about inflation and rising food costs, and instead pivot his messaging to assure Americans that he is working to address these issues, administration officials told CNN. “You can’t convince people that their experience, what they’re feeling at home, isn’t reality,” one official told CNN. Trump, whose net worth is estimated at around $6.6 billion, has repeatedly rejected any suggestion that tens of millions of Americans are still struggling financially under his administration. In an interview with Fox News’ Laura Ingraham broadcast Monday, Trump dismissed reports of a struggling economy as a “con job” pushed by Democrats and the media. When Ingraham pressed him on why polls consistently show Americans feel “anxious” about the economy, Trump replied: “I don’t know that they are saying that. I think polls are fake. We have the greatest economy we’ve ever had.” In a damning outburst in the Oval Office after the Election Day wipeout, Trump reportedly declared, “I don’t want to hear about affordability,” while pushing the misleading claim that a Thanksgiving dinner will be cheaper this year. “The only problem is the Republicans don’t talk about it,” Trump added. The issue for Trump, however, is that not only are many people struggling financially, but a majority of them blame him for their situation. A CNN/SSRS poll published last week, on the eve of the GOP’s disastrous election showing, found that 72 percent of Americans describe the economy as “somewhat” or “very” poor. Sixty-one percent said Trump’s policies, such as his sweeping tariffs, had made conditions worse. Trump is reportedly aware that voters have concerns about the economy, but believes his messaging on policies like new tax breaks is not getting through. One White House official told CNN the president is “frustrated he’s not getting credit for what he’s doing.” One proposal being floated by the administration is to send Trump on a national tour where he can deliver economy-focused speeches, CNN reported. It is believed that ramping up his domestic travel will also help quell concerns that Trump is too focused on foreign policy during his second term and is not addressing economic issues that affect Americans more. “The President’s pro-growth policies of deregulation and energy independence are bringing down gas prices, food prices, and inflation—and Americans will continue to benefit,“ White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told CNN. ”Trust in Trump—he created the greatest economy in his first term and he is doing it again in his second term.”
