Trump team scrambles to fix sputtering economic pitch as Dems lean in to 'affordability' attacks
The Trump administration is facing a crisis over its economic messaging as Democrats increasingly, and effectively, lean into their message of "affordability" that helped deliver a series of election wins during the off-season cycle in November.
In response, the White House is turning up the heat on former President Joe Biden's economic record as voters voice their discontent with current cost-of-living woes that President Donald Trump campaigned to bring down after his economic successes in his first term.
"Putting an end to Joe Biden’s inflation and affordability crisis has been a Day One priority for President Trump," White House spokesman Kush Desai told Fox News Digital Monday morning when asked about the White House message on affordability.
"Every Trump administration official has been playing their part over the past year to deliver on this priority, from slashing costly regulations to securing historic drug pricing deals — efforts that have cooled inflation and raised real wages," he continued. "Much work remains, but President Trump is highlighting the meaningful progress that his Administration has made and will continue to make to turn Joe Biden’s economic disaster around."
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Americans' feelings of financial uncertainty come after Trump touted from the campaign trail that he would "rapidly" bring down prices upon his return to the Oval Office following Biden's tenure, while administration officials have said that the Trump economy under his second term is "booming" while taking ownership of economic wins.
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick even claimed months ago that the Trump economy had taken hold after the Biden administration's spiraling inflation woes.
"The Trump Economy has officially arrived," Lutnick posted to X in July while pointing to the surge in the GDP and Trump's tariff policies.
"Biden’s first quarter is behind us, and growth is already accelerating," Lutnick posted to X. "President Trump’s tariff policies have drawn historic investments and opened up global markets for U.S. businesses. Congratulations America: 3 percent today, and we’re just getting started."
When asked about the past comments amid the White House's push to promote the president's economic record, a White House official said Monday: "Lutnick is not the president."
The administration repeatedly has taken victory laps for its economic wins in 2025 — while also taking shots at the Biden administration — including celebrating in recent months that the "Economy Is Back on Track Under President Trump," that there's been "Explosive Growth in Trump’s Economy," while the president has underscored that his tariff policies have been a "tremendous success."
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"President Trump’s America First Economic Agenda has created a BOOMING economy — jobs are up, unemployment is down, wages are increasing, and inflation is dead. More than 139,000 good jobs were added to the private sector in May, all accounted for by American-born workers. Americans should continue to trust in President Trump, who continues to beat expectations," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in June.
Voters, however, have reported that they aren't feeling financial relief.
Trump is set to travel to Pennsylvania Tuesday, a key battleground state that helped deliver him his 2024 victory, to promote his administration's economic policies and growth amid voters reporting financial anxiety.
The economy has been a cornerstone of Trump's tenure in political office, including championing his wins in his first administration — such as record unemployment and gas prices that dipped under $2 a gallon.
Some 76% of voters, however, reported that they view the economy negatively, up from the 67% who reported the same in July, as well as the 70% who said the same at the end of Biden’s term, a November Fox News national survey found.
The survey found that voters overwhelmingly blamed Trump over Biden. About twice as many voters polled reported that Trump, rather than Biden, is responsible for the current economy, with three times as many voters reporting that Trump’s economic policies have hurt them, which is on par with their feelings during Biden's final year in office.
Trump's messaging on affordability itself has evolved in recent years, with his 2024 campaign promoting it would "Make America Affordable Again," and the president later lamenting in November that "affordability" should be a message owned by Republicans, before also calling Democrats' messaging on affordability a "con job" earlier in December.
"You just say it. Affordability. I inherited the worst inflation in history. There was no affordability. Nobody could afford anything. The prices were massively high," Trump said during his December Cabinet meeting.
"But the word affordability is a con job by the Democrats," Trump continued.
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Now, the White House is doubling down that the Biden economy is still strangling American pocketbooks and the Trump administration is working to right the ship.
The White House told Fox Digital that Trump has "consistently — and correctly — pointed out how Joe Biden unleashed a generational economic disaster" since the campaign trail into the presidency.
"This undeniable fact hasn’t stopped Democrats from shamelessly trying to harp on the affordability crisis that they created in the first place," Desai said. "With inflation having cooled and trillions in investments pouring in, President Trump’s agenda is indeed delivering the booming economy that Americans enjoyed during his first term – and both he and the Administration will continue to underscore the work we are doing to make this happen."
A White House official added that tax cuts will be felt by Americans early in the new year.
"We inherited a mess," Trump said from a roundtable Monday. "Affordability. But you can call it affordability or anything you want, but the Democrats cause the affordability problem, and we're the ones that are fixing it. So it's a very simple statement. And they caused it and we're fixing it."
The Biden administration oversaw the highest inflation to rock the nation in 40 years, 30-year mortgage rates that rocketed from roughly 3% in 2021 to around 7%–8% in 2023, and the sharpest rise in interest rates in decades.
Voters during the 2024 federal election pointed to the economy as far and away their top issue.
Americans flooded the polls a year ago with their wallets at the top of their minds, backing Trump on the ballot as the majority of voters reported they were concerned they could not afford food, healthcare, housing and gas for their car, previous Fox News Voter Analysis data showed.