Trump economy could be election liability. Can he sell it in PA trip?

President Donald Trump is taking his economic message on the road as Democrats turn up the heat on the issue a year out from the 2026 midterm elections ‒ while some Republicans say he has taken his eye off the ball.

Trump's speech Dec. 9 at the Mount Airy Casino Resort in Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania comes as the White House and Republicans struggle with their response to affordability concerns of Americans. The working-class town sits in a swing congressional district and adjacent to another, in a battleground state that has could determine control of the House next year.

Democrats have overperformed in elections across the country as they run on a message of affordability ahead of the midterms. A poll from Politico last week found 46% of Americans ‒ including 37% of Trump voters ‒ believe the cost of living in the United States is the worst they can remember.