President Trump plans to press his argument that his administration is tackling affordability at a Tuesday rally in Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania, shifting a message he has delivered from the White House and on social media into a campaign-style appearance.
The visit comes amid signs of weakening public confidence in his handling of the economy. After disappointing Republican results in recent off-cycle elections, the White House has sought to reassure voters that the economy will improve next year and to emphasize that inflation concerns stem from prior policies rather than his own.
Trump has frequently blamed his predecessor, Joe Biden, for rising prices, even as some of his own actions coincided with renewed price pressures. Inflation accelerated after the administration announced sweeping April tariffs associated with what it called Liberation Day; businesses warned those import taxes could be passed to consumers through higher prices and reduced hiring. The president has repeatedly insisted prices are falling and that his policies will restore affordability.
How residents of Monroe County respond will be closely watched. The county, home to the Pocono Mountains, flipped to Trump in 2024 after supporting Biden in 2020 and helped him carry Pennsylvania. The local economy depends heavily on tourism — skiing, hiking, hunting and other outdoor recreation — and the county has also attracted people from nearby New York City seeking more affordable housing.
The rally takes place in a congressional district that could be pivotal for control of the House. Freshman Republican Rep. Rob Bressman holds the seat after a narrow 2024 victory of roughly 1.5 percentage points, making it a top Democratic target. Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti is pursuing the Democratic nomination to challenge him.
White House chief of staff Susie Wiles told the conservative online show The Mom View that the administration plans to make the president central to next year’s midterm effort rather than keeping him on the sidelines. Wiles said they intend to mobilize low-propensity voters who backed Trump in 2024 by effectively putting him on the ballot again.
The administration points to steps it says will relieve consumers, including easing auto fuel-efficiency rules and signing agreements aimed at lowering drug list prices. Trump has also urged the Federal Reserve to cut its benchmark interest rate to bring down mortgage and auto loan costs; critics warn aggressive rate cuts at the scale he proposes could rekindle inflationary pressures.
The economy has shown some resilience — the stock market is up this year and growth was solid in the third quarter — but many Americans still say costs for housing, groceries, education, electricity and other essentials are squeezing household budgets. The White House argues that investments in artificial intelligence and manufacturing will help ease those pressures next year as they create productivity gains and more jobs.
Since November elections in which Democrats highlighted kitchen-table issues, Trump has at times dismissed price concerns as overblown and resisted taking responsibility for inflation even as he campaigns on his ability to lower costs. A November AP-NORC survey found just 33 percent of U.S. adults approve of his handling of the economy.
The Mount Pocono rally will serve as a test of whether voters in a county that helped return him to the White House accept his account of who is responsible for affordability problems and whether his proposed remedies are persuasive enough to sway swing and skeptical voters.
