'Are you tone deaf?' Republican cornered in panel battle over Trump economy

A battle broke out on CNN Wednesday morning as a Democratic pundit fact-checked the GOP panelist about the work he claims the White House is doing to help on the affordability crisis.

The debate began with reporting that the midterm "convention" event in Texas would be charging nearly $89,000 to snag a photo with President Donald Trump. A roundtable with Trump will cost $250,000. This pairs with the $25,000 that each elected official is being charged to attend the event.

When CNN's Manu Raju asked congressional officials whether they plan to attend, those he spoke to made it clear that they need to be in their districts, focusing on their own elections.

"Trump is sitting on more than $400 million. He has money to burn. So why is there a convention?" asked CNN host Audie Cornish to Semafor economics reporter Eleanor Mueller.

"I think the bigger problemthan the charging for the photoand the invitation, which ishonestly pretty on par with whatthey've been charging for thelast two years, is the cost to House Republicans to travel andattend the convention," said Mueller. "Somuch of this is about themkeeping their majority, and thefact that, as we saw, so many have decided to not go is, Ithink, is going to really hamperthese fundraising efforts thatthey are so clearly determinedto ramp up here."

Cornish was confused, saying that the whole point of the convention appears to be an effort to tout Trump's record.

"Myrecord is good. All of you arechumps. No one likes you, right?That's the sort of Trumpargument against congressional Republicans. And the best thingI can do for you is be morevisible to make it a referendumon me," Cornish said.

New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman told the Legal AF podcast this week that she hasn't spoken to a single Republican who is happy about this. They feel put upon by this. It stays off of the trail to have to go do this. It's very confusing what the purpose is beyond just celebrating Donald Trump. And as you say, they have — it's very hard for a lot of these folks to run on ... aspects of Trump's record right now."

Democratic strategist Antjuan Seawright mocked Trump's response to the affordability crisis, saying that even a photo with Trump costs over $88,000.

"Look, the reality is this ishow out of touch Donald Trumpand Republicans are as theycontinue to pimp the presidencyand the office. Americans inthe states Donald Trumpwon are suffering from the highcost of living. 18.2 million, my good friend Terry, in places that Donald Trump won,are seeing their premiums,co-pays, and deductibles rise asmuch as $1,000 per month. Peopleare dying, literally because ofthese decisions that this White House and this president hasmade."

Republican Terry Schilling called BS on that, saying that no one is dying.

The Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics at the University of Pennsylvania and the Yale School of Public Health conducted an impact study examining how the "One, Big, Beautiful Bill" would affect Americans and found that it would lead to over 50,000 preventable deaths per year, largely due to healthcare cuts. Slashing subsidies to the Affordable Care Act is calculated to cost an estimated 20,000 deaths, while there will be 13,000 annual deaths that come from rolling back mandatory safe-staffing requirements at nursing homes. About 18,200 deaths will come from "the loss of Medicaid coverage among 1.38 million low-income Medicare beneficiaries, causing loss of access to low-income prescription drug subsidies."

Schilling disagreed that this was accurate, as Seawright maintained that the GOP's bill was the "largest transfer of wealth in American history."

"No, no. That's that is agarbage line. It's beendebunked left and right. It isnot. President Trump.>> Is holding this convention.>> The American people andworking families had theirtax cuts made permanent, which Democrats will repeal and raisetheir taxes on day one, as soon asthey get into office," claimed Schilling.

Schilling explained that the convention is necessary to promote all of the things that Trump has done in his first two years in office. The GOP convention will remind voters of this, he said.

"He has $400 million!" emphasized Cornish.

"Let's deal with the real issueat hand: You're telling me thatthe do-nothing Congress and do-nothing President's agenda is selling to the American peopleselling to the American people?Are you tone deaf to what everysingle — why areyou tone deaf?" Seawright said as Schilling kept trying to talk over him. "Let me — letme finish. Let me finish. Haveyou seen the polling data for Democrats, Republicans, andeveryday Americans and what theyfeel about this president'sagenda? The president and the Congress are underwater on everysingle major issue theycampaigned on, and voters aregoing to pull the plug inNovember as a result of theirfailure."

Schilling said that Democrats aren't doing much better, but Seawright made it clear Republicans are in charge of every branch of government. There are no Democrats to blame.

"One thing," Seawright continued. "Name one thing this White House has done to lowercosts for the American peoplethey promised on day one."

Schilling said everything they've done was in an effort to lower prices.

"Point to it. Pointto it. Point to one thingthat's lower cost for theAmerican people," Seawright asked, but Schilling couldn't. "I love you, you cannot pointto one thing that's lower costfor everyday Americans in thiscountry."

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