RESOLVING THE LEDGER
This is one outlet's own report from The Independent — the article as it was filed. Other outlets are covering the same event; open the full story to compare every source side by side.
See the full story · 1 sourcesPublic polling indicates most people disapprove of Trump’s handling of the economy and feel they are less financially comfortable than they were six months ago
Bookmark Comments Go to comments Bookmark popover Removed from bookmarks
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt insisted the United States was “ more affordable” under President Donald Trump , seemingly in an effort to push voters away from progressive Democratic candidates.
In a passionate rant on Fox News’ “Hannity” Monday evening , Leavitt claimed progressive liberal candidates, such as Abdul El-Sayed or Troy Jackson, would turn the U.S. into “a communist h***hole” with policies such as raising taxes or getting rid of private prisons.
“Thanks to President Trump and Republicans and common sense policies across the board, our country is safer, our country is more affordable,” Leavitt said.
But consumer price data – and the public’s general feelings toward the economy – indicates that the country is not more affordable than it was before the 2024 presidential election.
Consumer prices are up 3.5 percent from last year, a gallon of regular gasoline costs more than $4 and median home prices have risen for 36 months straight .
Fewer people say they are financially “living comfortably” than they were in January, according to a recent Marquette Law School poll . Just 33 percent of respondents said they were comfortable, a 10-percentage-point decrease from the number of people who said the same earlier this year.
The general malaise toward the state of the economy reflects poorly on the president , who has taken the U.S. economy for a roller coaster ride thanks to his ongoing war with Iran.
Some political analysts and pollsters had warned that voters could take their anger to the ballot box come November.
Mitchell Brown, a Republican pollster, told the Wall Street Journal that voters “know exactly, to the dollar, the amount of their power bill.” He said it’s a sign that the economy will play a major role in helping voters decide who to back.
Those feelings are reflected in some polls. A Retures/Ipsos poll published earlier this month found that 37 percent of registered voters believe the Democratic Party has a better approach to the economy than the Republican Party.
Although it’s not a massive lead for Democrats, the data indicates that Republicans are losing their historically strong edge with voters over the economy.
Already, some progressive liberals have won over voters with policies promising affordability.
Last year, Virginia elected its first female governor, Abigail Spanberger, who ran on a campaign of lowering costs. New York City elected Zohran Mamdani as its mayor; he too ran a campaign partially on promises to make housing more accessible and affordable.
In primary elections, Democrats have chosen to put progressives up against staunch conservatives. In Texas, former state lawmaker James Talarico beat an incumbent Democrat for the Senate nominee. In Michigan, El-Sayed similarly won over an established Democrat to run for Senate.
Leavitt’s fierce condemnation of progressive candidates on “Hannity” appears to be part of a larger effort to scare swing voters into casting their ballot for Republican candidates.
On the Fox News show, she asserted that the state of the Democratic Party was no longer the same one as it was during President John F. Kennedy Jr. or President Barack Obama’s eras. She equated policies to communism.
“This is a party that has been totally captivated by these far-left, extreme liberals,” Leavitt claimed.
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
AIPROPX is an independent multi-source news index — we track, compare, and connect coverage from across the web into one place you won't find anywhere else.