U.S. President Donald Trump delivers 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
President Donald Trump didn't make many new friends speaking to Pennsylvania voters on Tuesday night.
Speaking to the New York Times after the speech, a tailor and seamstress said, “I’m offended that he finds the affordability crisis a hoax. He’s probably never paid an electricity bill or shopped for groceries in his life.”
Donna Beny told the Times that the price of a zipper has more than doubled.
“I don’t want to, but everything is more expensive — utilities, insurance. Affordability is out of control. It’s painful to go to the grocery store. I could stop eating, I suppose.”
Trump told his audience, “I have no higher priority than making America affordable again,” But then he alleged that the "affordability crisis" is a "con job."
“They have a new word, you know?” Trump said of Democrats. “They always have a hoax. The new word is ‘affordability.’ So they look at the camera and they say, ‘This election is all about affordability.’”
“I can’t say ‘affordability hoax,’ because I agree the prices were too high, so I can’t go to ‘hoax’ because they’ll misconstrue that,” he said.
Greg Buzinski works as a salesman, and his wife, Edie, is a nurse. The couple has three children and a combined income of $45,000. Edie said she is clipping coupons, which she never had to do before.
“Everything is climbing,” Mr. Buzinski told the Times. “Utility bills are going up. The electric bill has gone up. Water bill has gone up. Rents and home prices are way too high. We don’t see any break. For someone who campaigned on bringing down prices on day one, that obviously hasn’t happened.”
“He comes up with plans that are grandiose and good. But we’ve seen the prices go up and stay up. No matter how many times he says different, we know the reality," he added.
