President Donald Trump faced widespread criticism from political analysts and observers following a meandering speech on Tuesday night, which was intended to focus on affordability.

Trump traveled to Monroe County, Pennsylvania—a blue-collar swing district in the northeastern part of the state—to discuss how his administration has been addressing the rising cost of living. The speech came at a time when a recent Politico poll revealed that 37% of Trump voters believe the cost of living is the highest they can remember.

During his remarks, Trump blamed the Biden administration for the inflationary pressures driving up the cost of living. He cited factors such as the pandemic-induced spike in inflation, growing immigration, and other Democratic policies. However, the speech quickly veered off course, touching on unrelated topics including praise for the efforts of his cabinet secretaries.

Reactions from political analysts and commentators flooded social media. Jon Favreau, a former Obama White House staffer, posted on X:
“Trump’s approval is near record lows, dragged down by his approval on the economy, dragged down by his least popular policy—tariffs.”

J. J. Abbott, executive director of Commonwealth Communications, added:
“Affordability tour off to a great start! It only took 20 minutes for Trump’s speech at the NEPA casino to go completely off the rails.”

Aaron Fritschner, deputy chief of staff to Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA), weighed in with:
“He can’t even stay focused on a speech about affordability, let alone do anything to help. Trump’s economic speech is now cutting more midterm ads for Democrats.”

Political analyst Ahmed Baba called the tour:
“A propaganda campaign seeking to gaslight Americans into disbelieving their own lived experience.”

Social impact entrepreneur Mike Nellis commented:
“Trump claims prices are down when they’re up. 37% of his own voters say the cost of living is the worst in memory. This strategy is delusional. Miami just elected a Democratic mayor for the first time in 30 years, while Trump is on stage calling affordability a hoax again. The midterms are going to be fun.”

The widely criticized speech highlights ongoing challenges for Trump as he faces scrutiny over his economic messaging ahead of the upcoming midterm elections.
https://www.rawstory.com/trump-2674385029/