Top Trump economic adviser Kevin Hassett got an uncomfortable reality check on Fox News Thursday as an unusually persistent anchor laid down the facts.
Martha MacCallum told Hassett that Americans are searching for answers on affordability like never before, and most are pinning the blame squarely on President Donald Trump.
MacCallum played a clip of CNN’s Harry Enten highlighting a surge in Google searches for “affordability,” up 110 percent compared to last year, and noting that cost-of-living concerns now outrank nearly every other issue, including the economy itself.
“He won on affordability and the cost of living in 2024—and he has completely lost the plot,” Enten said.
Hassett, director of the National Economic Council, tried to push back, insisting, “No, he absolutely has not,” and framing the conversation around what Trump calls the “Democrats’ affordability hoax.” He claimed inflation under President Joe Biden slashed Americans’ purchasing power by an average of $3,000 and suggested that under Trump, people had already gained $1,200 in purchasing power this year.
MacCallum pressed on, noting that wage growth still lags behind inflation. Hassett maintained his talking points, arguing the government shutdown and other factors were skewing perception.
Then came the hammer blow: 76 percent of respondents rated the current state of the economy “only fair” or “poor,” and 62 percent said Trump was more responsible for the country’s financial malaise than Biden.
“What would you say to people who are answering the survey that way?” MacCallum asked. Hassett pivoted to a mix of optimism and vague projections, citing holiday shopping trends and assurances from Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent that growth would improve in the first half of next year.
The exchange highlighted a stark gap between Trump administration messaging and voter sentiment. Even on a pro-Trump network, Hassett had to face polling showing the president faltering on affordability, the issue that powered his 2024 victory.
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