'Prices are coming down': Trump hails his economy, blames Biden as voters say costs still sting

By Fox News · Fox News

President Donald Trump declared the U.S. economy is strong and holds an "A-plus-plus-plus-plus-plus" grade under his leadership despite inheriting a "mess" from the Biden administration. "The word affordability ... I inherited a mess," Trump told Politico in a sit-down interview published Tuesday. "I inherited a total mess. Prices were at an all-time high when I came in. Prices are coming down substantially. Look at energy. You and I discussed before the interview, energy ... energy has come down incredibly. When energy comes down, everything ... ’cause it’s so much bigger than any other subject. But energy has come down incredibly. Prices are all coming down. It’s been 10 months. It’s amazing what we’ve done." The Trump White House is facing a crisis over its economic messaging after Democrats swept a series of elections in November while campaigning on platforms focused on "affordability," lowering the current cost-of-living prices skyrocketing from grocery store shelves to rent, while touting a vote for Democrats was a vote against Trump and his policies. The Democratic election wins earlier in 2025 — which included the gubernatorial races in New Jersey and Virginia and the mayoral race in New York City — are viewed as a bellwether ahead of the 2026 midterms, lighting a spark among Republicans to fine-tune their messaging on the economy. JEN PSAKI MOCKS TRUMP, GOP OVER 'AFFORDABILITY' MESSAGE DURING COLBERT APPEARANCE The White House and Trump increasingly have amplified blame for the current affordability woes on former President Joe Biden's leadership as voters' financial anxiety grows at peak holiday shopping season. "Putting an end to Joe Biden’s inflation and affordability crisis has been a Day One priority for President Trump," White House spokesman Kush Desai told Fox News Digital Monday morning when asked about the White House's message on affordability. "Every Trump administration official has been playing their part over the past year to deliver on thi…