President Donald Trump continues to say the U.S. economy is strong despite a growing number of Americans feeling economic pain, and now the White House is mulling a messaging reset.
Speaking to Fox News host Laura Ingraham, Trump said the bad news about the economy is a “con job by the Democrats”, claiming that Democrats “feed” news network anchors with the message that the economy is bad.
“I’ll never forget, they used a word like ‘manufactured,’” Trump said in the interview. “You remember the word ‘manufacture’? It’s a ‘manufactured’ economy. Nobody uses that word. Every anchor broke in ‘manufactured.’ They do exactly what they say. It’s such a rigged system.”
Despite the U.S. economy growing at an annualized rate of 3.8% in the second quarter in the government’s final estimate, consumer prices rose 3% in September, with inflation at its highest level since January, the most recent government data showed.
Trump defended his handling of the economy, saying that costs are “way down”.
“Costs are way down,” Trump said. “Gasoline is going to be hitting $2 pretty soon, or around $2. Gasoline is at $2.70 now and it was at $4.50 under Biden, under sleepy Joe. When gasoline comes down, when energy comes down — and everybody agrees energy is down — we drill, you know, drill, baby drill.”
The average consumer price for a gallon of gas in the U.S. was $3.072 on Tuesday, according to AAA.
Trump’s advisers acknowledge and realize they have an affordability problem, and Americans are sour, and the administration’s repeated claim that the economy is doing well is not easing their anxieties.
“When critics say we’re ignoring inflation and affordability, I’d say they’re missing the bigger picture,” one administration official said. “We’re pursuing structural reforms — supply chains, production, innovation — that will bring down costs sustainably, not just temporarily.”
White House officials have been putting “policy time” on Trump’s schedule to discuss the matter with him, urging him to not dismiss the American people’s concerns.
Other officials said they would want Trump to give speeches and travel more to showcase his economic successes.
Despite that, Trump said in Monday’s interview with Fox News that polls showing the view of the economy being bad are “fake”.
“I don’t know they are saying that,” he said. “The polls are fake. We have the greatest economy we’ve ever had.”
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), a Trump ally, has criticized the president, saying he should focus more on the problems at home rather than travel overseas.
“I have to view the presidency as a worldwide situation, not locally,” Trump said, responding to the criticism.
