President Trump just laid into his own staff, suggesting they might be “bad public relations people” for failing to sell his economic achievements to the American public, as reported by The Hill. That’s a pretty wild move, calling out your own team right there in the White House briefing room for not getting the message across effectively.
The president made a surprise appearance to mark exactly one year in office. He was clearly frustrated that the administration’s economic narrative wasn’t sticking, especially given the persistent issues with voter sentiment on affordability. He told reporters that while he believes his policies are working, the public just isn’t getting the memo.
President Trump was adamant that he is responsible for bringing economic indicators down. “The numbers that we inherited were way up, and now we brought them, almost all of them, way down, way down,” President Trump stated directly to the press. He then immediately doubled down on the messaging failure. “I mean… maybe you have bad public relations people, but we’re not getting it across. We inherited high numbers, and we brought them way down,” he continued.
It certainly sounds like he’s putting the failure to connect with the public directly on the shoulders of his communications staff
This public frustration highlights a major challenge the administration faces: struggling poll numbers regarding how Americans feel about their personal finances. Despite the president’s insistence that things are great, stubborn inflation is holding steady at 2.7. That 2.7 number is a real headache for families trying to manage their budgets, and it completely explains why affordability remains such a major concern for voters.
It’s tough to sell an economic win when people are still worried about the prices of everyday goods and food. President Trump insists his policies have slashed costs, specifically pointing to gas and eggs as examples of everyday goods getting cheaper. He has also been dismissive of the entire “affordability” discussion, often mocking the notion as a way to push back against recent political wins by the opposition.
When he’s not blaming his own PR people for poor messaging, the president is repeatedly laying the economic woes at the feet of former President Biden. It seems like the administration’s strategy is two-pronged: either claim credit for every positive economic number or blame the previous administration for every high price tag that voters are concerned about.
It’s definitely a tricky position to be in when you’re trying to sell a positive economic story but voters keep feeling the pinch at the grocery store. Publicly blaming the people whose job it is to sell your success probably isn’t the best way to boost team morale, but the president seems determined to make sure everyone knows he thinks the policies are sound, even if the delivery isn’t.
Published: Jan 21, 2026 02:30 pm