By James Oliphant, national political correspondent |
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President Donald Trump this week delivered a speech intended to assure Americans that he shares their concerns about the rising cost of living. It did not go great. The speech was Trump's third high-profile appearance in a matter of days, coming after his attendance at the FIFA World Cup draw and his hosting of the Kennedy Center Honors. The Republican president seemed to save his enthusiasm for the first two events, then careened through his much-ballyhooed speech on affordability. Democrats have latched onto the issue of rising prices, spotting a vulnerability that could cost Republicans control of Congress in 2026. Trump's response has been to characterize cost-of-living concerns as a Democratic electoral strategy designed to make him look bad. A year into Trump 2.0, we want to hear from you: What questions do you have about politics and what to expect in 2026? Ask our journalists here. |
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A 13-letter word that spells 'TROUBLE' |
"They have a new word. You know, they always have a hoax," Trump said at the rally at a Pennsylvania casino on Tuesday. "The new word is 'affordability'." Trump, who boasts about his political instincts, seems to have been taken off-guard by the potency of the very same issue he used as a cudgel against Joe Biden to secure his reelection. He and his fellow Republicans have struggled to cohere around a plan to bring costs down and have watched as Democrats have won a series of elections in recent months with the state of the economy the central concern. The most recent example is Miami, where Eileen Higgins became the first Democrat in almost 30 years to be elected mayor. Last month Democrats won the governor's races in New Jersey and Virginia. Trump has embraced a strategy that failed for Biden last year: trying to persuade Americans the economy is fine despite their doubts. At his Pennsylvania event, he touted lower egg and gas prices, even as government data shows the prices of many other goods are rising. When Trump did talk about the economy on Tuesday it was squeezed between riffs on wind turbines, Saudi Arabia, the North Korean electrified border, Somali migrants, Christmas and the movie-star looks of his treasury secretary, Scott Bessent. |
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Trump's efforts to convince the public his policies are working were undermined by his decision earlier in the week to bail out U.S. farmers who have been hurt by his trade war with China. The $12 billion won't be enough to cover their losses, farmer trade groups said. At the same time Republicans in Congress are scrambling to try to pass a healthcare bill to mitigate the impact of Obamacare subsidies expiring at the end of the year. Signs are the effort is likely doomed. Tuesday's event raised the question of how much elbow grease Trump wants to put into politics at this point. He is in his final term in office. By any measure, he is traveling far less domestically than he did during his first term. He bypassed opportunities to stump for Republicans in last month's gubernatorial elections and in the Tennessee special congressional elections earlier this month. On Tuesday, it was hard to tell whether he was joking when he said, "When you win, you say, 'Oh now I can rest.'" He also suggested his prepared remarks were too boring for him to say. Trump, along with Republicans on the Hill, may have fumbled a chance this week to demonstrate to Americans that they care about their struggles. Other opportunities await, but the calendar flips next month, and the 2026 midterms are rolling down the track. The clock is ticking. |
In past midterm congressional elections, older voters split more evenly between parties |
Follow Reuters/Ipsos polling on the president's approval ratings here. |
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Europe should integrate more closely and strengthen itself militarily in response to the Trump administration's foreign policy, Poland's Justice Minister, Waldemar Zurek, said on Thursday. A U.S. strategy document released last week suggested Europe should take primary responsibility for its own defense. |
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U.S. President Donald Trump gestures as he arrives to deliver remarks on the U.S. economy and affordability at the Mount Airy Casino Resort in Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania, U.S. December 9, 2025. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst |
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- December 11: U.S. Senate votes on healthcare plans
- December 29: Trump meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
- December 31: Affordable Care Act subsidies expire for millions of Americans
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