President Donald Trump is now hearing directly from his financially strained supporters who are struggling under the weight of skyrocketing costs of living.
The Daily Beast reported that during a Wednesday interview with Fox News host Bret Baier, Trump argued that Republicans mainly lost Tuesday's elections due to playing catch-up with Democrats on the issue of affordability. Baier then read a message to Trump from North Carolina Republican voter Regina Foley, who said she voted for Trump in the past three elections but that she was "not happy" about skyrocketing costs.
"I want the Republicans to keep control of Congress in 2026, but something HAS to be done fast!” Foley said. "I don’t see the best economy right now. Wall Street numbers do not reflect my Main Street money. Please do something, President Trump."
Trump then launched into a spirited defense of his second-term policies, acknowledging that while the prices of certain items are high, Democrats are unfairly exploiting the term "affordability."
"We've done so much, energy is way down. Look at energy. We'll have $2 gas. That brings everything else down. Groceries are way down other than beef," he said. "... Our country is doing well. The stock market is hitting record highs, like 48 times during my nine months ... They have this new word called affordability and they don't talk about it enough. The Democrats did, and the Democrats make it up because we took over a mess. Think of energy. Energy was so expensive, and now I have it down to half what it was."
Earlier on Wednesday, Baier himself warned Republicans about being aware of difference between the performance of the stock market, and the daily realities of American families dealing with high costs of food, healthcare and housing.
"This dichotomy between how Wall Street’s doing and how big business is doing and how you feel about it at home is something Republicans really have to look at closely," Baier said.
Trump's comments on grocery prices are also inaccurate: In September, the Bureau of Labor Statistics found that grocery prices are up by 29 percent on average since February of 2020. Consumer Price Index data from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis shows that the U.S. city average for food prices is at an all-time high.
Click here to read the Beast's full report (subscription required).