President Donald Trump blasted Democrats' economic messaging during a Cabinet meeting Tuesday, calling their focus on "affordability" nothing more than a political "con job."
Trump said Democrats "just say the word" affordability without delivering real relief for Americans, insisting the narrative is "fake" and detached from the economic reality he said he inherited.
"There's this fake narrative that the Democrats talk about affordability. They just say the word. It doesn't mean anything to anybody," Trump said in his opening remarks, carried live by Newsmax.
"I inherited the worst inflation in history. There was no affordability. Nobody could afford anything. The prices were massively high," he added.
Trump argued that under his administration, energy and fuel prices have dropped sharply — progress he framed as the foundation for broader economic improvement.
"Our prices now for energy, for gasoline are really low. Electricity is coming down, and when that comes down, everything comes down," he said.
Trump repeatedly emphasized his view that Democrats misled Americans on inflation.
"But the word affordability is a Democrat scam," he said. "They say it and then they go on to the next subject and everyone thinks, Oh, they had lower prices. No, they had the worst inflation in the history of our country."
He added: "Some people like to correct me and they say 48 years. I say it's not 48 years, it's much more. But whether it's 48 years or ever, it's pretty bad."
Trump said his administration effectively "stopped inflation in its tracks" since last January but acknowledged the work isn't finished.
"There is still more to do. There's always more to do," he said, adding that current levels are "very good" and projected to improve further.
He also cautioned that the goal is not eliminating inflation entirely, warning that "deflation can be worse than inflation."
"We have it almost … we'll soon be at a perfect level," Trump said.
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Mark Swanson ✉
Mark Swanson, a Newsmax writer and editor, has nearly three decades of experience covering news, culture and politics.
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