With economy a concern, Trump plans weekly US travel before midterms
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US President Donald Trump has struggled to convey a message on affordability that resonates with voters.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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DAVOS, Switzerland - US President Donald Trump will begin weekly trips around the United States to speak to voters ahead of November’s midterm elections, beginning on Jan 27 with a stop in Iowa, White House chief of staff Susie Wiles said.
The speech in Iowa will focus on the economy and energy, Ms Wiles told reporters on the way to Davos, Switzerland.
Cabinet officials will also increase their domestic travel in the coming months, she said.
The domestic travel comes as frustration has grown among senior White House aides and Republican lawmakers over Mr Trump’s emphasis on foreign policy, rather than the economic and healthcare concerns dominating the election year.
Opinion polls show Americans are broadly unhappy with Mr Trump’s handling of the economy, and Mr Trump conceded in an interview with Reuters last week that his Republican Party could struggle to retain its tenuous grip of Congress because the party of the president historically suffers losses during midterm elections.
Mr Trump’s attention on foreign policy has included a military operation that led to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro
On Jan 21, Mr Trump ruled out the use of force
His comments overshadowed a speech that was intended to focus primarily on the US economy.
Mr Trump has struggled to convey a message on affordability that resonates with voters, and the president’s aides and allies fear blowback in November since foreign policy is rarely a winning issue in US congressional elections.
While Mr Trump is not on the ballot in November, Republicans view him as their best messenger on the economy and plan to use him to win over sceptical voters.
Some 36 per cent of Americans approve of Mr Trump’s overall handling of the economy, according to a recent Reuters/Ipsos poll.
That is well below his initial 42 per cent rating on the issue when he first took office in 2025, but up from a low of 33 per cent in a December poll.
In recent days, the White House has scrambled to offer Americans a slew of populist economic proposals to ease cost-of-living concerns.
Mr Trump has proposed a cap on credit card interest rates at 10 per cent, a ban on large investors buying up family housing
Half a dozen economists and lenders who spoke to Reuters expressed scepticism that Mr Trump’s recent economic proposals will have any meaningful impact on the cost of living between now and November’s congressional elections and some could even backfire. REUTERS
