Overview
- At a Friday night rally in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, President Trump urged patience on costs and pledged improvements while drifting into unrelated riffs during a 90‑minute speech.
- Earlier Friday, he announced a deal with nine pharmaceutical companies to cut drug prices for Medicaid patients and people paying cash, though key specifics were not provided.
- Public support for his economic stewardship remains low, with a Reuters/Ipsos poll this week showing about 33% approval on the economy.
- Republicans offered public praise for the prime-time address, yet party operatives privately labeled the execution abysmal and questioned whether he will keep to a disciplined affordability script.
- The White House points to cooling inflation near 2.7% as unemployment hovers around 4.6%, while unanswered questions persist over funding a $1,776 servicemember bonus and how the administration will address expected ACA premium spikes.