President Donald Trump will speak in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, to defend his economic record and argue his policies will drive growth ahead of a politically risky midterm year. Polling shows only 33% of U.S. adults approve of his economic stewardship. Trump will point to lower gas prices, tariff revenue and pledged foreign investment, while recent CPI data showed moderating housing and food-cost increases.
Trump Heads to North Carolina to Defend Economic Record Ahead of Risky Midterms
FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump gestures as he arrives to deliver remarks on the U.S. economy and affordability at the Mount Airy Casino Resort in Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania, U.S. December 9, 2025. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst/File Photo
WASHINGTON, Dec 19 (Reuters) - President Donald Trump will visit Rocky Mount, North Carolina, on Friday to make the case that his economic policies have set the U.S. on a path to stronger growth as he and Republican allies prepare for a politically consequential midterm year.
With some prices rising and unemployment higher than earlier in the year, Trump faces skepticism about his stewardship of the economy: a Reuters/Ipsos poll released this week found just 33% of U.S. adults approve of how he has handled economic issues.
What Trump Will Argue
At a 9 p.m. rally at the Rocky Mount convention center, Trump is expected to argue that recent economic improvements reflect his policies. He plans to highlight falling gasoline prices, tariffs that he says are generating billions for the U.S. Treasury, and what he describes as trillions in commitments from foreign partners that will spur investment and hiring.
"Eleven months ago, I inherited a mess, and I'm fixing it," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Thursday. "We inherited the worst inflation in 48 years. And now we're bringing those prices down."
Economic Data And Political Stakes
Trump gained some favorable data with a delayed Consumer Price Index report for November showing that housing costs rose by the smallest margin in four years and that food costs increased by the least since February. Egg prices — an item Trump frequently cites — fell for a second consecutive month, recording the largest decline in 20 months.
Republican strategists are concerned that lingering economic pain could cost the party seats in next November's midterms, which will determine control of the House and Senate for the final two years of Trump's term.
The Rocky Mount stop is on Trump’s route back to his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, where he plans to spend the Christmas and New Year’s holidays. The president has repeatedly blamed much of the current economic hardship on policies he says were left by his predecessor, Democratic President Joe Biden; Democrats counter that Trump himself has mismanaged the economy.
(Reporting by Steve Holland; Editing by Edwina Gibbs)
