Sen. Mark Kelly criticized President Trump for misstating inflation and suggested someone should have explained “how math works” after the president’s 17‑minute speech touting his record and announcing $1,776 payments for service members. Kelly called Trump “angry and desperate” and accused him of making things up. Data cited show September and January both recorded 3% annual inflation, while the Bureau of Labor Statistics later reported a 2.7% annual rate for November. Democratic leaders also condemned the address, and a Reuters/Ipsos poll puts Trump’s approval at 39% with 33% approving of his handling of the economy.
Sen. Mark Kelly: “I Wish Someone Had Told Trump ‘How Math Works’” After Inflation Claims
Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) sharply criticized President Donald Trump on Wednesday after the president touted his administration’s record and made assertions about falling prices during a 17‑minute speech 11 months into his second term.
Speaking on The Briefing With Jen Psaki on MS NOW (formerly MSNBC), Kelly suggested Trump may have been responding to poor poll numbers and questioned the factual basis of the president’s claims. “Somebody must have showed him some, like, abysmal poll numbers and said, ‘You better get out there in front of the American people and explain to them why these poll numbers shouldn’t be in the toilet,’” Kelly said. He added,
“And then I wish somebody would tell him how math works. You know, the prices are going to go down 500 or 600 percent? Anyone who’s been through, like, the sixth grade, by then knows that that is not a thing.”
Kelly accused Trump of “making stuff up” and said the president sounded “angry and desperate and defensive.” Earlier remarks on The Jim Acosta Show escalated the criticism: “All this guy cares about is figuring out how he can fleece the American people out of their money, including his supporters,” Kelly said.
What Trump Said
In his address, Trump praised his administration, announced $1,776 “warrior dividend” payments for service members, and asserted that inflation was falling. At the time of his remarks, year‑over‑year monthly data for September and January each showed a 3 percent annual inflation rate. On Thursday, the Bureau of Labor Statistics later reported the annual inflation rate had fallen to 2.7 percent in November.
Reactions From Democratic Leaders
Democratic leaders were swift to condemn the speech. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D‑N.Y.) called the address “unhinged” and “untethered from reality and truth.” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D‑N.Y.) said in a statement,
“People are feeling squeezed harder and harder every day and tonight Donald Trump took a victory lap. The facts are that prices are going up. Unemployment is going up. And there’s no end in sight.”
Polling Snapshot
The latest Reuters/Ipsos poll shows Trump’s approval at 39 percent — his second‑lowest mark in this term — while 33 percent of Americans approve of how he is handling the economy.
Context: The exchange underscores partisan disagreement over the state of the economy and how inflation is communicated to the public, with Democratic critics accusing the president of exaggeration and misrepresentation.
