By Blessing Nweke
President Donald Trump delivered an upbeat message on the economy during a campaign-style rally in Pennsylvania on Tuesday, insisting consumer prices are falling “tremendously” even as many Americans report ongoing financial pressure. Speaking at a casino in a key battleground district, Trump told supporters he had “no higher priority than making America affordable again,” launching what the White House says will be a series of events aimed at highlighting his economic agenda ahead of next year’s midterm elections.
Trump pointed to lower gas and egg prices and highlighted recent policy moves, including lifting tariffs on dozens of food products and rolling back fuel efficiency standards. He also promoted new Trump-branded retirement accounts for children as part of his strategy to ease cost-of-living burdens. In a newly released interview excerpt, he gave the economy an “A plus-plus-plus-plus-plus” grade.
Yet the president’s optimism contrasts with persistent public frustration over high prices for housing, healthcare and childcare. Inflation stood at 3% in September—unchanged since Trump took office and still above the Federal Reserve’s 2% target. Overall prices have risen 25% over the past five years.
Many Americans continue to feel squeezed. In Oklahoma City, 37-year-old Alaina Hunt said she was laid off from a construction design job partly due to tariffs on steel and aluminium. Rising grocery bills, she said, add about $25 a week to her expenses. In Kansas, Beth Richardson said she was stunned to see a pack of gum cost nearly $5 after tax, calling tariffs “shooting ourselves in the foot.”
Still, Trump’s message may be resonating with some voters. His approval rating ticked up three points to 41% in a new Reuters/Ipsos poll. And while consumer confidence recently fell, the stock market remains near record highs, and economists expect 1.9% growth this year—slower than last year but better than forecast.
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