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Trump Calls Affordability a 'Con Job' and Dismisses Cost-of-Living Concerns

President Trump has downplayed public worries about affordability since the 2025 elections, calling the issue a "con job" and urging people to ignore cost-of-living complaints. At a Cabinet meeting he dismissed affordability as a political narrative and made several misleading or exaggerated claims, including an impossible "800%" reduction in drug costs. Advisers had urged a stronger focus on affordability, but the president has alternated between championing and denying the issue, a stance critics say makes him appear out of touch.

05:56 PM, 12/03/2025Politics
Trump Calls Affordability a 'Con Job' and Dismisses Cost-of-Living Concerns

About a month after Democrats posted strong results in the 2025 elections, President Donald Trump publicly downplayed rising cost-of-living worries, calling concerns about affordability a "con job" and telling Americans he did not want to "hear about the affordability."

At a recent White House Cabinet meeting, the president repeatedly urged people to disregard what they see in their wallets and labeled the issue a political narrative pushed by Democrats:

"You know, there's this fake narrative that the Democrats talk about, 'affordability.' They just say the word, it doesn't mean anything to anybody, they just say it, 'affordability.'"

"The word 'affordability' is a con job by the Democrats. ... The word 'affordability' is a Democrat scam."

White House advisers had urged the president to make affordability a central theme because it matters to many voters. Instead, he has alternated between calling himself the "affordability president" and denying that affordability is a real problem—sometimes supporting his argument with claims that are misleading or demonstrably false.

For example, the president said he "inherited the worst inflation in history," a statement that greatly exaggerates the historical record. He also claimed he had lowered prescription drug costs by "800%," a mathematical impossibility. While the administration did announce price reductions on a set of commonly used drugs, some of those changes built on policies enacted by the previous administration. He also cited isolated low gas prices—"$1.99 in some places of the country"—which do not reflect nationwide trends.

Why this matters

Affordability—covering groceries, housing, healthcare and energy—remains a top concern for many Americans. When a leader dismisses those concerns without presenting a clear plan or asking for patience while policies take effect, critics say it risks appearing out of touch and evasive.

Whether motivated by political messaging or a different judgment about the economy, the president's repeated dismissal of affordability concerns has drawn criticism from opponents and unease from some advisers who urged a different approach.

Absent a concrete plan or a candid explanation of trade-offs, repeatedly asking the public to accept optimistic reassurances over their lived experience may deepen skepticism rather than restore confidence.

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