Overview
- At a White House-backed event in Mount Pocono on Dec. 9, the president labeled talk of affordability a partisan “hoax,” later softened the phrasing, and insisted prices are falling as the rally took on a campaign-style tone.
- He had graded the economy “A-plus-plus-plus-plus-plus” in a Politico interview hours earlier and touted charts on cheaper turkeys, eggs and rising real wages, assertions multiple outlets say are not supported by public data.
- Trump’s remarks veered into derogatory commentary about immigrants from countries he described as “filthy, dirty, disgusting,” reviving past rhetoric and diluting the event’s economic focus.
- The administration points to recent steps to ease costs, including rolling back tariffs on dozens of food products and unveiling a $12 billion aid package for farmers affected by trade policies.
- Surveys continue to show broad anxiety about prices and low confidence in Trump’s economic management, and the Pennsylvania stop is framed as the first in a series of affordability-focused appearances before the 2026 midterms.