President Donald Trump has said the 2026 midterm elections will be “about pricing,” showing how he is reframing his economic messaging after calling Democrats’ focus on affordability a “dead” issue.
“I think it’s going to be about the success of our country. It’ll be about pricing,” he said in an interview with Politico published Saturday morning. “Because, you know, they gave us high pricing, and we’re bringing it down. Energy’s way down. Gasoline is way down.”
Trump was referring to the Biden administration’s economic record, which he has repeatedly criticized in recent weeks to tout his own successes.
The White House recently highlighted a November inflation report that showed cooling price increases at 2.7% year-over-year, representing the lowest rise in prices since July. In its own analysis, the White House noted conservative states experienced a lower rate of inflation on average than liberal states.
The difference between the two types of states was most apparent in energy, which saw red states hold a 1.7% advantage over blue states in that area. While speaking with Politico, Trump hammered home the lower energy prices.
“Electricity is down. It’s way down,” he told the news outlet. “You know, when the gasoline goes down and when the oil and oil and gas go down, the electricity comes down naturally. But it’s all coming down. It’s all coming down. It’s coming beautifully.”
In addition to falling prices, economic growth is heating up. Trump pointed to a new government report that showed the economy growing at an annualized rate of 4.3% in the third quarter.
“You saw the 4.3 percent?” he asked. “The Democrats were exploding. Their heads were exploding.”
Since the November elections in which Democrats overperformed among voters on affordability, Republicans have sought to improve their messaging on the economy heading into the midterm elections. Trump recognizes this, which is why he launched a speaking tour focused on affordability this month.
The president traveled to Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania, and Rocky Mount, North Carolina, where he talked to his supporters about his part in lowering grocery and gas prices through tariffs and other policies. He also used the first two speaking gigs for the tour as an opportunity to pin the record Biden-era inflation rates on Democrats.
Trump previously branded affordability as a Democratic “con job” and “hoax,” arguing Democrats invented a “fake narrative” to criticize his economic performance. He continues to claim responsibility for bringing in a stronger economy than the one for four years under the Biden administration.
Another issue that Trump labels a “hoax” is the Epstein files, which he contends are distracting the public from his administration’s successes this year.
DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS TIED ON ECONOMY HEADING INTO 2026, SURVEY FINDS
“The Radical Left doesn’t want people talking about TRUMP & REPUBLICAN SUCCESS, only a long ago dead Jeffrey Epstein – Just another Witch Hunt!!!” he wrote in a Truth Social post on Friday.
The next economic test facing Trump is a possible government shutdown at the end of January, following the historic 43-day shutdown this fall. Prospects of a second shutdown stem from the battle to extend the Affordable Care Act’s premium tax credits, which expire at the start of the new year.
