President Donald Trump last week boasted to the people of Pennsylvania that he had created an “incredible” economy. Now, VP JD Vance needs to explain why they haven’t felt the benefits yet.
Vance will return to swing states on Tuesday to promote Trump’s economic agenda, the latest attempt to address affordability concerns that have weighed on the president and stoked fears among Republicans that they are headed for midterm disaster.
America’s cost-of-living crunch, including rising housing and grocery prices, has become a daunting political issue for Republicans, one that many White House officials acknowledge they need to address as 2026 approaches.
But it’s also an issue that Trump himself refuses to fully acknowledge, insisting that the economy is already booming and voters’ own financial anxieties are exaggerated.
Speaking last week in Pennsylvania’s Pocono Mountains on the first leg of a so-called “affordability tour” that is expected to climax early next year, Trump largely ignored his prepared remarks in favor of a digression that only occasionally touched on the cost of living. He ruthlessly blamed former President Joe Biden for any negative effects related to the economy.
That leaves Vance to deliver a more nuanced and empathetic message that Trump has failed to deliver, as administration officials try to reach the broader coalition of voters who returned Trump to the White House — voters who are now increasingly skeptical of his vow to usher in a “golden age” of the economy.
Trump’s advisers, discussing the administration’s affordability rhetoric, emphasized the need to appeal to patience and instill hope that the economic tide will soon turn, rather than ignoring or downplaying Americans’ struggles.
“You have to take people seriously. I don’t think you can deny how they feel,” said Tomas Philipson, Trump’s former top economic appointee. “They’re not experts at knowing why they’re feeling pinched, but they’re certainly experts at knowing if they’re having difficulty.”
In remarks in Lehigh County on Tuesday, the vice president is expected to echo many of the points he made at a Breitbart News event last month, when he addressed Americans’ affordability concerns head-on. He argued that the government has made “incredible progress” on inflation, while acknowledging that people are still struggling and asking for patience as Trump’s policies take effect.
“While we’ve made great progress, it’s going to take a little while for every American to feel the economic boom, and we do believe that the economic boom is coming. We believe we’re on the front end of the economic boom,” Vance said at the event.
A spokesman for Vance reiterated that message in a preview of the vice president’s speech to CNN.
Vice President J.D. Vance attends the White House Congressional Ball on December 11, 2025 in Washington. – Alex Brandon/AP
“The benefits of Trump’s economic agenda are just beginning to emerge, and there is more work to be done in the new year,” they said. “Vice President Vance is expected to emphasize the fact that making America affordable again is a top priority for the Trump administration.”
Inside the White House, aides believe the economic fundamentals are stronger than most voters believe, pointing to rising stock markets and increasing private-sector investment commitments since Trump took office. They point out that the average American’s wages are rising faster than the rate of inflation, boosting their overall purchasing power. While concerns have been raised about soaring costs for individual commodities such as beef, officials believe prices are leveling off or falling elsewhere as the government intensifies its focus on falling gasoline prices in recent weeks.
Yet even as they make some progress on paper, surveys show Americans simply don’t feel any financial security — creating a messaging challenge that has frustrated the Biden administration for years and is now weighing on Trump. A recent Gallup poll showed Trump is in trouble on the economy, with only 36% of voters approving of his handling of the economy.
“What economists care about is not what the average consumer cares about,” Phillipson said. “They have their own lives to live and don’t care about economic statistics.”
Vance, long seen as the president’s key emissary on major political issues, sought to assuage voters’ concerns by emphasizing that their financial outlook will improve in 2026 as new tax policy comes into play as part of Republicans’ “big, beautiful bill.” He also sought to blame the Biden administration for lingering inflation concerns, reflecting a broader White House effort to deflect criticism of cost-of-living difficulties even as officials acknowledge they exist.
“The White House has a responsibility to show that the president inherited a damaged economy and that things are getting better now, especially when his policies really start to be implemented,” one official said.
Still, Vance’s trip on Tuesday will serve as a key test of whether he can be a successful messenger on the issue — especially if Trump continues to pursue a less empathetic communications strategy.
Trump has called rising concerns about affordability a “Democrat hoax,” though officials have tried to clarify that he was referring to Democrats claiming “their” issues, rather than voters’ broader economic concerns.
The president has also refused to acknowledge any flaws in his management of the economy, rating his handling of the economy an “A++++++” and insisting prices are “plummeting” despite overwhelming evidence suggesting otherwise.
Even Trump allies admit the message isn’t resonating with voters.
“There was a real sense of optimism after Trump won a lot of voters,” said Stephen Moore, Trump’s former economic adviser. “And that’s gone.”
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