Trump touts economic agenda as polls show voter frustration over affordability

President Donald Trump is preparing to deliver a major speech on the economy today in battleground Pennsylvania—an issue central to his reelection campaign.

(NBC)-President Donald Trump is preparing to deliver a major speech on the economy today in battleground Pennsylvania—an issue central to his reelection campaign. It comes as a series of recent polls, including a new Gallup survey, show only 36% of Americans are satisfied with his handling of the economy.

Trump continues to argue that he “inherited a mess,” placing blame on Democrats for rising costs.
“They caused the affordability problem, and we’re the ones fixing it,” he said Monday.

The President also announced a $12 billion aid package for farmers, funded through tariff revenues and aimed at helping lower food prices.
“It’ll help them continue their efforts to lower food prices for American families,” he added.

The move is the latest in a wave of executive actions responding to economic concerns—even as Trump has publicly dismissed what many call an affordability crisis.
“It’s a Democrat hoax,” he said. “They’re the ones that drove the prices up.”

Democrats quickly pushed back.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Republicans are ignoring reality:
“They don’t plan to address the high cost of living… because they don’t even believe that it exists.”

On Capitol Hill, senators are preparing for a key vote on whether to extend Affordable Care Act subsidies set to expire—raising the possibility that millions of Americans could face significant increases in health insurance premiums. Republicans argue reforms are needed, not more spending.

Sen. John Hoeven warned that simply increasing subsidies would only escalate costs:
“That doesn’t solve the problem.”

Democrats insist families cannot afford to wait as they look to keep economic concerns front and center with critical midterm elections less than a year away.