Trump called affordability a ‘hoax’ but a chilling GOP warning just confirmed he is completely out of touch with millions of voters

Senate Republicans are clearly rattled by recent Democratic election victories and are sending President Trump a chilling warning: his dismissal of affordability as a “hoax” is proving to be a massive political liability that shows he’s completely out of touch with struggling American voters, as per The Hill. This is a massive political headache for the GOP, especially after the latest off-year elections suggested that high costs are driving voters away from the party.

While lawmakers are glad President Trump traveled to Pennsylvania to talk up his economic record, they’re demanding the White House focus much harder on easing the financial burdens millions of Americans are currently feeling. It’s honestly pretty awful when the president seems entirely disconnected from what people are actually paying.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) didn’t hold back, suggesting that those around the president need to be more transparent with him about kitchen table issues. She pointed out that a president isn’t exactly doing his own shopping or sitting down on a Thursday night to pay bills and check credit card statements for gas receipts.

This direct criticism contrasts sharply with President Trump’s optimistic view of the economy

Murkowski stressed that Trump needs to understand the gravity of the situation. “You can’t call it a hoax and suggest that people are going to believe it,” she said, adding that “What you say matters.” She believes his team needs to be “really honest with him about what people are talking about around the dinner table.”

He recently told an interviewer he would grade the economy as “A-plus-plus-plus-plus-plus.” Speaking in Mount Pocono and Pennsylvania, he argued that “prices are coming down very substantially” and blasted critics for pushing a “hoax.” He even declared that “inflation is stopped.” However, the Bureau of Labor Statistics measured annual inflation at 3 percent at the end of September, which is still above the Federal Reserve’s 2 percent target.

The polling data confirms the GOP’s anxiety is justified. A majority of Americans disapprove of the president’s handling of the economy, and his disapproval rating is sitting high at 55.8 percent. One recent poll found that 55 percent of adults blame the Trump administration for high grocery prices. Nearly half of those surveyed said basic necessities like groceries, utility bills, health care, and transportation are difficult to afford.

This financial stress is translating directly into political losses for the GOP. Democrats have jumped on the issue and racked up several recent wins, including a major flip in Florida where Eileen Higgins became the first Democrat elected mayor of Miami in 28 years on Tuesday. They also pulled off an impressive win in Georgia, taking a state House seat in a district President Trump carried by 12 percentage points in 2024.

One senior Republican senator, speaking anonymously, summarized the core political danger: “I think Republicans need to have a message about caring for people who are struggling because of the high cost of things.” This senator noted that they see the problem at home and that the high cost of living “just makes life very difficult on people.”

It seems the GOP is finally realizing that focusing too much on building a massive ballroom at the White House doesn’t exactly help millions of financially stressed Americans.