By Tim Reid, Nandita Bose and Nathan Layne
WASHINGTON, Dec 11 (Reuters) - President Donald Trump’s repeated mockery of the word “affordability” is worrying Republican strategists, who say the fixation risks undercutting White House efforts to reassure Americans about the cost of living - a top voter concern heading into next year’s congressional elections.
Those fears were underscored during Trump's speech to supporters in Pennsylvania on Tuesday night. The White House billed the speech as the first
in a series by the president to address criticism that he is not paying sufficient attention to voters who say they are struggling with high prices.
Instead, the 90-minute speech veered into attacks on the word "affordability," which Trump derided as a "hoax" by Democrats to exaggerate the cost of living. While he did acknowledge that prices were high, he insisted the economy was booming and people were taking home more pay.
But Republican strategists told Reuters the president should stop fixating on the term "affordability" and instead focus on presenting a clear plan to lower prices.
“Repeating this claim that affordability is made up ignores what’s happening in our economy,” said Jason Cabel Roe, a Republican consultant. “He absolutely needs to do better.”
Government data shows that job growth has slowed during Trump’s second term, unemployment has risen to its highest level in four years and consumer prices remain high. Overall, the economy’s growth has rebounded somewhat after the economy contracted slightly in the first quarter of the year.
WHITE HOUSE DEFENDS TRUMP ON AFFORDABILITY
A person who speaks regularly with Trump's top aides, and who spoke on the condition of anonymity to talk more freely about messaging, said some of those aides conceded that the president needs to talk more about the domestic economy, especially ahead of the midterm elections next November, with Republicans' control of both houses of Congress at stake.
Two White House officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, denied that Trump's dismissive comments about affordability made him appear out of touch with the struggles of ordinary Americans, although they acknowledged that was a complaint from some Republican lawmakers.
White House spokesman Kush Desai defended Trump’s focus on the economy, calling the rally “a reminder for everyday Americans that the Trump administration continues to prioritize affordability."
Trump's approval rating edged up to 41% in a new Reuters/Ipsos poll as he rolled back some tariffs on food imports and spoke more about combating inflation. But the approval rating on his performance on the cost of living was just 31%.
Officials have said Trump will hit the road in the new year to campaign for Republican candidates and emphasize his economic policy successes. Trump says his tax cuts and tariffs on foreign goods will put more money in the pockets of American families.
Speaking to reporters and technology executives at the White House on Wednesday, Trump said Democrats keep talking about affordability, but "they never discuss it. They just say the election's about affordability. Well, it may very well be, I think it's also still about the border."
Democratic Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro posted on social media that Trump spent his speech "telling Pennsylvanians not to believe what they can see with their own two eyes - the skyrocketing cost of living and rising prices at the grocery store."
Opinion polls show cost of living is voters’ top concern and was seen as contributing to a series of recent Democratic electoral victories.
INDEPENDENT, MODERATE VOTERS WILL BE DECISIVE
Trump told the rally, “I have no higher priority than making America affordable again,” while blaming his predecessor, Democratic former President Joe Biden, for high prices.
That is an important message to send to voters, said John Feehery, a longtime Republican operative, but tone matters.
“It’s very difficult to tell people they’re fine when they’re not feeling fine,” said Feehery.
Charlie Gerow, a Pennsylvania-based Republican strategist, said Trump’s remarks on Tuesday likely sounded “hollow” to moderates and independents, an influential voting bloc that Trump will need to win over if his party is to keep control of Congress.
Republicans currently have narrow majorities in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate.
“He needs to stay laser-focused on the economy,” Gerow said. Meandering into topics like transgender rights and wind turbines, as he did on Tuesday, “doesn’t help,” he added.
Trump has a crucial role to play next year as the party's chief economic messenger, said Representative Richard Hudson, chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee.
"He's the most effective messenger we have," Hudson told Reuters.
(Reporting by Tim Reid, Nandita Bose, Trevor Hunnicutt, Nathan Layne, David Morgan and Jarrett Renshaw; editing by Ross Colvin and Leslie Adler)
