President Donald Trump declared Tuesday that the entire concept of affordability is a "Democrat scam" and urged Americans to simply ignore the evidence of their own bank accounts.
Trump proclaimed that affordability concerns were nothing more than a hoax and con job during a Cabinet meeting, dismissing voter anxiety about rising costs as a manufactured crisis despite recent polling showing 76% of respondents rated national economic conditions as poor.
The president's innovative approach to economic messaging—which political strategists have dubbed "financial gaslighting"—marks a departure from traditional methods of addressing constituent concerns, such as implementing actual policies or acknowledging objective reality.
Trump insisted prices were coming down even as consumer prices have risen 1.7% on average during his second term and grocery prices gained 1.4%. Most notably, Trump's tariffs have raised the average household's annual costs by $1,200, with estimates projecting increases to $1,600 next year.
Republican voters across the nation praised Trump's message, with many reporting they felt significantly wealthier after being told their financial struggles were imaginary. "I was worried about my electric bill tripling, but then the president said affordability is fake, and suddenly I realized I've just been a victim of Democrat word magic," said Iowa voter Dale Hendricks, shortly before having his utilities shut off.
Vice President JD Vance echoed the administration's messaging, declaring that Democrats talk about an affordability crisis they created and predicting 2026 would be the year the economy really takes off—presumably into space, where prices and facts no longer apply.
The White House defended the president's remarks, explaining that Trump was employing an advanced economic theory in which problems cease to exist if you simply refuse to acknowledge them loudly enough. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt noted this strategy has worked tremendously well for Trump's personal finances over the decades.
