Trump administration takes its economic message to Pennsylvania again as Vance heads to swing state

By Adam Cancryn, Alayna Treene, CNN

(CNN) — President Donald Trump bragged to Pennsylvanians last week that he’d delivered an “unbelievable” economy. Now, it’s up to Vice President JD Vance to explain why they’re not yet feeling the benefits.

Vance will return to the swing state on Tuesday to tout Trump’s economic agenda, marking the latest attempt to address the affordability concerns dragging down the president’s standing — and driving fears among Republicans that they’re careening toward a midterm disaster.

The cost-of-living crunch in the US, including rising housing and grocery prices, has become a daunting political problem for the GOP, and one that many White House officials acknowledge they need to fix with 2026 right around the corner.

But it’s also an issue that Trump himself has refused to fully acknowledge, insisting instead that the economy is already booming and that voters’ own financial anxieties are overblown.

Speaking in Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania, last week on the first leg of a so-called affordability tour that is expected to kick into high gear early next year, Trump largely ignored his prepared remarks in favor of a digression-filled speech that only occasionally touched on cost-of-living concerns. And he relentlessly blamed former President Joe Biden for any negativity associated with the economy.

That’s left it to Vance to deliver the more nuanced, empathetic message that Trump did not, as administration officials try to reach the broader coalition of voters who put Trump back in the White House — and who are now increasingly skeptical of his vow to usher in an economic “golden age.”

Trump advisers workshopping the administration’s affordability rhetoric have emphasized the need to call for patience and instill hope that the economic tide will soon turn, rather than dismissing or downplaying Americans’ struggles.

“You have to take people seriously. I don’t think you can argue away what they’re feeling,” said Tomas Philipson, a former senior Trump economic appointee. “They’re not experts on the causes of why they’re feeling squeezed, but they’re certainly experts on whether they’re having a difficult time or not.”

In remarks in Lehigh County on Tuesday, the vice president is expected to echo much of the case he laid out during a Breitbart News event last month, when he addressed Americans’ affordability concerns head-on. He argued that the administration had made “incredible progress” on inflation, while also acknowledging that people were still struggling and asking for patience to allow for Trump’s policies to settle in.

“As much progress as we’ve made, it’s going to take a little bit of time for every American to feel that economic boom, which we really do believe is coming. We believe that we’re on the front end of it,” Vance said at the event.

A Vance spokesperson reiterated that message when previewing the vice president’s speech to CNN.

“The benefits of the Trump economic agenda have only begun to kick in and there is more work to be done in the new year,” they said. “Expect Vice President Vance to emphasize the fact that making America affordable again is the No. 1 priority of the Trump administration.”

Inside the White House, aides contend the economy’s fundamentals are stronger than most voters believe, pointing to the rising stock market and wave of private-sector investment commitments since Trump took office. Americans’ average wages are rising faster than the rate of inflation, they note, increasing their overall purchasing power. And despite the attention paid to the skyrocketing cost of individual items like beef, officials argue that prices elsewhere are leveling off or coming down, with the administration doubling down in recent weeks on efforts to spotlight falling gasoline prices.

Yet even if they are making some gains on paper, surveys show Americans simply don’t feel any more financially secure — creating a messaging challenge that frustrated the Biden administration for years and that is now weighing on Trump. A recent Gallup poll showed Trump deep underwater on economic issues, with just 36% of voters approving of his handling of the economy.

“The stuff that economists look at, that’s not stuff the average consumer pays attention to,” Philipson said. “They have lives to run and don’t care about economic statistics.”

Vance, who has long been viewed as a key messenger for the president on top political issues, has tried to alleviate voters’ concerns by stressing that their financial outlook is set to improve in 2026 as new tax policies passed as part of Republicans’ “big, beautiful bill” start to kick in. He’s also sought to blame lingering inflation worries on the Biden administration, reflecting a broader White House effort to redirect criticism for the cost-of-living difficulties even as officials acknowledge that they exist.

“It’s incumbent upon this White House to show that the president inherited a damaged economy, and that things are on the up and up now, especially once his polices really kick in,” one official said.

Still, Vance’s trip Tuesday will serve as a key test of whether he can break through as a successful messenger on the issue — especially if Trump continues to pursue a less empathetic communications strategy.

Trump refers to the intensifying attention on affordability as a “Democratic hoax,” though officials have tried to clarify that he’s referring to Democrats claiming to “own” issue, and not voters’ broader economic concerns.

The president has also resisted admitting any flaws in his stewardship of the economy, grading his handling of it as an “A-plus-plus-plus-plus-plus” and insisting that prices are “plummeting” despite widespread evidence to the contrary.

It’s a message that even Trump allies acknowledge isn’t resonating with voters.

“There was a real sense of optimism after Trump won among a lot of voters,” said Stephen Moore, a former Trump economic adviser. “And that has dissipated.”

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