MOUNT POCONO, Pa. (AP) 鈥� On the road in Pennsylvania on Tuesday, President Donald Trump tried to emphasize his focus on combating inflation, yet the issue that has damaged his popularity couldn’t quite command his full attention.
The president told the crowd gathered at a casino and resort in Mount Pocono that inflation was no longer a problem and that Democrats had used the term 鈥渁ffordability鈥� as a 鈥渉oax鈥� to hurt his reputation. But his remarks weaved wildly to include grievances he in his first term in 2018 鈥� and later denied saying 鈥� asking why the U.S. doesn’t have more immigrants from Scandinavia.
鈥淲hy is it we only take people from s鈥�-hole countries, right?鈥� Trump said onstage. “Why can鈥檛 we have some people from Norway, Sweden, just a few?鈥�
Trump said he objected to taking immigrants from 鈥渉ellholes like Afghanistan, Haiti, Somalia and many other countries.” He added for emphasis that those places 鈥渁re a disaster, right? Filthy, dirty, disgusting, ridden with crime.鈥�
Tuesday鈥檚 gathering in the swing state 鈥� and in a competitive House district 鈥� was an official White House event, yet it seemed more like one of his signature campaign rallies that his chief of staff said he would hold regularly ahead of next year鈥檚 midterms. But instead of being in an arena that could draw several thousand attendees, it was held in a conference center ballroom at the Mount Airy Casino Resort in Mount Pocono, a small town of about 3,000 residents.
Voters starting to blame lasting inflation on Republicans
Following in last month’s off-cycle elections, the White House has that the economy will emerge stronger next year and that any anxieties over inflation have nothing to do with Trump.
He displayed a chart comparing price increases under his predecessor, Joe Biden, to prices under his own watch to argue his case. But the overall inflation rate has climbed since he announced broad tariffs in April and left many Americans worried about their grocery, utility and housing bills.
鈥淚 have no higher priority than making America affordable again,鈥� Trump said. 鈥淭hey caused the high prices and we鈥檙e bringing them down.”
As the president spoke, his party’s political vulnerabilities were further seen as Miami voters chose Eileen Higgins to be their first Democratic mayor in nearly 30 years. Higgins defeated the Trump-endorsed Republican Emilio Gonzalez.
The president’s reception in the county hosting his Tuesday rally showed he could still appeal to the base, but it was unable to settle questions of whether he could hold together his 2024 coalition. Monroe County flipped to Trump last year after having backed Biden in 2020, helping the Republican win the swing state of Pennsylvania and return to the White House after a four-year hiatus.
As home to the Pocono Mountains, the county has largely relied on tourism for skiing, hiking, hunting and other activities as a source of jobs. Its proximity to New York City 鈥� under two hours by car 鈥� has also attracted people seeking more affordable housing.
In Monroe County, people agree that prices are a problem
But what seems undeniable 鈥� even to Trump supporters in Monroe County 鈥� is that inflation seems to be here to stay.
Lou Heddy, a retired maintenance mechanic who voted for Trump last year, said he鈥檚 noticed in the past month alone that his and his wife鈥檚 grocery bills have risen from $175 to $200, and he鈥檚 not sure Trump can bring food prices down.
鈥淥nce the prices get up for food, they don鈥檛 ever come back down. That鈥檚 just the way I feel. I don鈥檛 know how the hell he would do it,鈥� said Heddy, 72.
But Suzanne Vena, a Democratic voter, blames Trump鈥檚 tariffs for making life more expensive, as she struggles with rising bills for food, rent and electricity on a fixed income. She remembers Trump saying that he would stop inflation.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 what we were originally told,鈥� said Vena, 66. 鈥淒id I believe it? That鈥檚 another question. I did not.鈥�
The area Trump visited could help decide control of the House in next year’s midterm elections.
Trump held his rally in a congressional district held by first-term Republican Rep. , who is a top target of Democrats. Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti, a Democrat, is running for the nomination to challenge him.
Speaking to the crowd before Trump, Bresnahan said the administration was working to lower costs, but voters 鈥渁ren鈥檛 asking for partisan arguments 鈥� they鈥檙e asking for results.鈥�
It’s not clear if Trump can motivate voters in Monroe County to show up in next year’s election if they’re worried about inflation.
Nick Riley, 38, said he鈥檚 cutting back on luxuries, like going out to eat, as he absorbs higher bills for food and electricity and is having a hard time finding a good deal on a used car. Riley voted for Trump in 2020, but he sat out the 2024 election and plans to do so again next year.
鈥淲e鈥檙e all broke. It doesn鈥檛 matter whether you support Republicans or support Democrats,鈥� Riley said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e all broke, and we鈥檙e all feeling it.鈥�
Trump to start holding more rallies before midterm elections
White House chief of staff Susie Wiles said on the online conservative talk show 鈥淭he Mom View鈥� that Trump would be on the campaign trail next year to engage supporters who otherwise might sit out a congressional race.
Wiles, who helped manage Trump’s 2024 campaign, said most administrations try to localize midterm elections and keep the president out of the race, but she intends to do the opposite of that.
鈥淲e鈥檙e 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.鈥�
The challenge for Trump is how to address the concerns of voters about the economy while simultaneously claiming that the economy is enjoying a historic boom.
Asked on a Politico podcast how he’d rate the economy, Trump leaned into grade inflation by answering 鈥淎-plus,鈥� only to then amend his answer to 鈥淎-plus-plus-plus-plus-plus.鈥�
Trump says economy is strong, but Americans should buy fewer dolls
The U.S. economy has shown signs of resilience with up this year and overall growth looking solid for the third quarter. But many Americans see the prices of housing, groceries, education, and other basic needs as swallowing up their incomes, a dynamic that the Trump administration has said it expects to fade next year with more investments in and manufacturing.
So far, the public has been skeptical about Trump’s economic performance. Just 33% of U.S. adults approve of Trump’s handling of the economy, according to a November survey by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.
But Trump indicated that his tariffs and other policies were helping industries such as the steel sector. He said those industries mattered for the country as he then specifically told Americans that they should buy fewer pencils and dolls from overseas.
鈥淵ou don鈥檛 need 37 dolls for your daughter,鈥� he told the crowd. 鈥淭wo or three is nice.鈥�
Trump says Guardsman shot and severely wounded near White House got out of bed
Trump says a West Virginia National Guardsman who was shot last month while patrolling in Washington, D.C., is recovering.
“Today I got a call that he got up from bed. Do you believe that? He got up. He got up,鈥� Trump said of 24-year-old U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe.
鈥淣ow, he didn鈥檛 speak,鈥� Trump added. 鈥淗e鈥檚 not ready for that yet. I mean, he got hit in the head.鈥�
Trump said U.S. Army Spc. Sarah Beckstrom, who was killed in the shooting, is 鈥渓ooking at us from heaven, from above.鈥�
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Boak reported from Washington.
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