President Donald Trump boasted to Pennsylvanians last week that he delivered an “incredible” economy. Now, it’s up to Vice President J.D. Vance to explain why they’re still not realizing the benefits.
Vance will return to the swing state on Tuesday to tout Trump’s economic agenda, marking the latest effort to address affordability concerns that have dragged down the president’s standing — and fears among Republicans that they are staring at a midterm disaster.
America’s cost-of-living crisis, including rising housing and grocery prices, has become a vexing political problem for the GOP, and many White House officials admit they need to solve it with 2026 around the corner.
But it’s also an issue that Trump himself has refused to fully acknowledge, saying instead that the economy is already booming and that voters’ own economic concerns are overshadowed.
Speaking last week in Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania, on the first leg of a so-called affordability tour that is expected to kick into high gear early next year, Trump largely avoided his prepared remarks in favor of a theme-filled speech that occasionally touched on concerns about affordable living. And he consistently blamed former President Joe Biden for any negativity related to the economy.
It has been left to Vance to deliver a more nuanced, empathetic message that Trump did not, as administration officials try to reach a broad coalition of voters who put Trump back in the White House — and who are now increasingly skeptical of his promise to usher in an economic “golden age.”
Trump advisers, who have workshopped the administration’s economic rhetoric, have stressed the need to call for patience and hope that the economic tide will soon turn rather than dismiss or diminish Americans’ struggles.
“You have to take people seriously. I don’t think you can argue with what they’re feeling,” said Tomas Philipson, a former senior Trump economic appointee. “They’re not experts on why they’re feeling squeezed, but they’re certainly experts on whether they’re having a hard time.”
In remarks Tuesday in Lehigh County, the vice president is expected to echo many of the cases he made last month when he addressed Americans’ affordability concerns during a Breitbart news event. He argued that the administration has made “incredible progress” on inflation, while also acknowledging that people are still struggling and asking for patience to allow Trump’s policies to settle.
“As much progress as we’ve made, it’s going to take some time for every American to feel that economic boom, which we really believe is coming. We believe we’re on the front end of that,” Vance said at the event.
Vance’s spokesman repeated that message during a preview of the vice president’s speech on CNN.
Vice President J.D. Vance attends the Congressional Ball at the White House on December 11, 2025 in Washington. — Alex Brandon/AP
“The benefits of Trump’s economic agenda have only just begun and there is more to come in the new year,” they said. “Expect Vice President Vance to emphasize the fact that making America affordable again is the Trump administration’s No. 1 priority.”
Inside the White House, aides contend the economy’s fundamentals are stronger than most voters believe, pointing to a rising stock market and a 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 attention to the skyrocketing cost of individual commodities like beef, officials argue that prices elsewhere are flat or coming down, with the administration doubling down on efforts to lower gasoline prices in recent weeks.
Even if they’re making some gains on paper, polls show Americans simply don’t feel financially secure — creating a messaging challenge that has frustrated the Biden administration for years and is now weighing on Trump. A recent Gallup poll showed Trump deeply underwater on economic issues, with only 36% of voters approving of his handling of the economy.
“The stuff that economists look at, isn’t what the average consumer pays attention to,” Phillipson said. “They have lives to run and don’t care about financial statistics.”
Vance, long seen as a key messenger for the president on top political issues, has tried to assuage voters’ concerns by insisting that new tax policies passed as part of Republicans’ “big, beautiful bill” will be reformed in 2026. Attempts to redirect criticism for living difficulties despite authorities acknowledging they exist.
“It’s the White House’s responsibility to show that the president inherited a damaged economy, and things are on the up and up right now, especially once his policies really kick in,” one official said.
Still, Vance’s trip on 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 intensified focus on affordability as a “Democratic hoax,” though officials have tried to clarify that he is touting “his” issue to Democrats, not voters’ broader economic concerns.
The president has also resisted admitting any flaws in his stocking of the economy, grading it as “A-plus-plus-plus-plus-plus-plus” and insisting that prices are “falling” despite widespread evidence to the contrary.
It’s a message that even Trump’s allies aren’t resonating with voters.
“There was a real sense of optimism after Trump won among so many voters,” said Stephen Moore, a former Trump economic adviser. “And that’s broken.”
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