Donald Trump made an unusually candid admission Wednesday as Republicans head into the final stretch before the midterm elections: when it comes to convincing Americans that his economic record is a success, he says he hasn’t been doing a very good job.
Speaking at a Hispanic Heritage Month event at the White House, Trump acknowledged that his administration has struggled to sell its economic message.
“I’ve done a very bad job of explaining how good the country is doing,” Trump told the crowd, while insisting that “the country’s doing better than it has ever done.”
That distinction matters. Trump wasn’t admitting that he believes his economic record itself is bad. He was admitting that he believes he has failed to persuade Americans that it is good.
But that messaging problem is colliding with some uncomfortable numbers.
Consumer confidence plunged in September to its lowest level in nearly twelve and a half years, according to the Conference Board, as Americans grew increasingly concerned about business conditions and the labor market.
High energy costs have added another political headache. The war with Iran has helped drive energy prices higher, while Trump’s global tariff policies have also weighed on voters’ perceptions of the economy.
And the political consequences are becoming increasingly difficult for Republicans to ignore.
The GOP is pouring millions of dollars into congressional races that were once considered relatively safe, as the party fights to maintain control of Congress in the November 3 midterms.
Trump himself acknowledged the stakes.
“We have to turn this around,” he said, urging supporters to vote and noting the historical tendency of the president’s party to lose congressional seats during midterm elections.
Now he is preparing to hit the road.
Trump is embarking on an aggressive campaign push for Republican candidates, with stops scheduled in Texas and Oklahoma on Thursday, Alabama on Friday and Ohio on Saturday.
His explanation for the political problem is straightforward: Americans simply aren’t hearing enough about what he considers his administration’s successes.
“We’re not getting the word out,” Trump said.
Then came another revealing assessment.
“We’re doing an extremely poor job of promotion, and an extremely great job of running the country,” Trump said. “But we’ll get the word out. It should not be hard.”
That argument is about to face a major test.
With just weeks remaining before voters decide control of Congress, Trump is betting that Republicans have a messaging problem — not a governing problem.
The voters will decide whether they agree.
About the Author
