In an effort to address recent controversies, the White House is reportedly strategizing a tour for President Donald Trump to rebuild confidence in his economic policies. After referring to Americans’ financial worries as “fake,” Trump’s aides believe that a series of nationwide economic speeches might reinvigorate his support base. According to CNN, the plan involves curtailing some of Trump’s overseas commitments to allow him to concentrate on domestic issues, aiming to boost his political standing and reconnect with voters through public rallies.

Criticism has mounted from within his own party, with figures such as Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene expressing dissatisfaction with Trump’s focus on foreign policy rather than prioritizing American concerns. In response, the administration is reportedly adjusting the president’s schedule to include more policy discussions, particularly aimed at tackling inflation. This comes in the wake of a disappointing performance by Republicans in recent off-year elections in states like Virginia and New Jersey, where Democrats managed to leverage Trump’s affordability message, a key factor in his 2024 electoral success.

Despite these political setbacks, President Trump has maintained a positive stance on the economy. In a recent interview with Laura Ingraham on Fox News, he reiterated his viewpoint, claiming that the U.S. is experiencing its “greatest economy ever.” When confronted with public anxiety over economic conditions, Trump dismissed the concerns, attributing them to what he perceives as inaccurate polling. “I don’t know that they’re saying that,” he remarked, suggesting that the dissatisfaction is a result of “fake” polling data.

Trump’s comments echoed those of Democratic President Joe Biden, who downplayed frustration over inflation by pointing to other economic progress his administration had made, trying to pull the country out of the COVID-19 pandemic. Biden was able to be portrayed as out of touch, and the Democrats’ eventual 2024 nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris, didn’t do enough to distance herself from Biden’s record.

Cut to 2025, and polls show Americans still are feeling sour about the economy and have mixed feelings about some of Trump’s policies – including tariffs – that the president believes will improve it. ‘You can’t convince people that their experience, what they’re feeling at home, isn’t reality,’ a Trump adviser told CNN, acknowledging the problem. A senior White House official told the network that ‘the president gets it.’

‘But he’s frustrated he’s not getting credit for what he’s doing,’ the official said, pointing to the Big Beautiful Bill’s extension of the 2017 tax cuts and energy deregulation. If Republicans aren’t able to adequately message on the economy, it imperils the entire MAGA agenda. If Democrats win a majority in the House of Representatives during next year’s midterms, Trump becomes a lame duck.

Republicans that the Daily Mail interviewed last week suggested that Trump and GOP candidates needed to point to the progress that’s been made, but say they’re not done yet. ‘The Biden problem was this: they were trying to tell us, “don’t believe your lying eyes.” Prices were up during the Biden administration, and they were like, “Oh, it’s no big deal,”‘ former White House press secretary Sean Spicer told the Daily Mail.

He offered a simple analogy: something that cost $3 rose to $5 under Biden, and is now back to $4 under Trump. ‘Where Trump needs to step it up is to say “Hey guys, it went from $5 to $4, I want to get it to $3, we’re not there yet, and we’re going to keep fighting for it,”‘ Spicer advised.