President Donald Trump will test his message that he’s addressing Americans’ affordability challenges at a Tuesday rally in Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania — moving an argument he has made from the Oval Office and on social media to a campaign-style event.
The visit comes as polls repeatedly show slipping public confidence in Trump’s economic stewardship. After poor Republican results in last month’s off-cycle elections, the White House has been trying to reassure voters that the economy will be stronger next year and to argue that inflation worries are not his fault.
Trump has repeatedly blamed his predecessor, Democrat Joe Biden, for inflation even as some of his own forceful policy moves have pushed prices up after they had been easing from a 2022 spike to a four-decade high. Inflation accelerated after Trump announced sweeping “Liberation Day” tariffs in April. Businesses warned the import taxes could be passed to consumers through higher prices and reduced hiring, but Trump has continued to insist inflation has receded.
“We’re bringing prices way down,” Trump said at the White House on Monday. “You can call it affordability’ or anything you want — but the Democrats caused the affordability problem and we’re the ones that are fixing it.”
How voters in the county hosting the rally respond may indicate how much confidence they place in those claims. Monroe County flipped to Trump in 2024 after backing Biden in 2020, helping him carry Pennsylvania and return to the White House. The county, home to the Pocono Mountains, depends heavily on tourism — skiing, hiking, hunting and other outdoor recreation — for jobs. Its proximity to New York City, under two hours by car, has also drawn people looking for more affordable housing.
The area could be pivotal in next year’s fight for control of the House. Trump is speaking in a congressional district held by freshman Republican Rep. Rob Bressman, a top Democratic target who won in 2024 by about 1.5 percentage points, one of the nation’s closest races. Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti, a Democrat, is seeking the nomination to challenge him.
White House chief of staff Susie Wiles told the online conservative show “The Mom View” that Trump will be on the “campaign trail” next year to mobilize supporters who might otherwise skip a midterm. Wiles, who helped run Trump’s 2024 campaign, said most administrations try to localize midterms and keep the president out of direct involvement, but she plans to do the opposite.
“We’re actually going to turn that on its head,” Wiles said, “and put him on the ballot because so many of those low-propensity voters are Trump voters.” She added, “So I haven’t quite broken it to him yet, but he’s going to campaign like it’s 2024 again.”
The administration points to actions it says give consumers relief: easing fuel-efficiency rules for autos and signing agreements to lower drug list prices. Trump has also pushed for cuts to the Federal Reserve’s benchmark interest rate, arguing it would lower mortgage and auto loan costs; critics warn such cuts at the scale he seeks could stoke higher inflation.
The U.S. economy has shown resilience, with the stock market up this year and solid growth in the third quarter. Still, many Americans say costs for housing, groceries, education, electricity and other necessities are eating up their incomes. The administration says it expects that pressure to ease next year as investments in artificial intelligence and manufacturing take hold.
Since the November elections — where Democrats won key races by focusing on kitchen-table issues — Trump has frequently dismissed price concerns as a “hoax” and “con job,” rejecting responsibility for inflation despite campaigning on his ability to quickly lower prices. A November AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research survey found just 33% of U.S. adults approve of Trump’s handling of the economy.
