Comment: Trump finally talked affordability, but was it convincing?

Published 1:30 am Thursday, February 26, 2026

By Nia-Malika Henderson / Bloomberg Opinion

President Donald Trump finally did what members of his party wanted him to do. He talked at length about the economy, the issue that average Americans care most about and that will determine how successful he and his party are for the remainder of his second term.

At the start of a State of the Union speech that lasted an hour and 45 minutes, Trump declared economic victory and claimed that the country under his direction is strong, hot, bigger and better than ever.

“When I last spoke in this chamber 12 months ago, I had just inherited a nation in crisis with a stagnant economy, inflation at record levels, a wide-open border, horrendous recruitment for military and police, rampant crime at home and wars and chaos all over the world,” he said. “But tonight, after just one year, I can say with dignity and pride that we have achieved a transformation like no one has ever seen before and a turnaround for the ages. It is, indeed, a turnaround for the ages.”

Trump’s problem is that Americans’ views of the country are largely at odds with his. About 7 in 10 say the economy is only “fair” or “poor,” as opposed to “excellent” or “good,” according to the Pew Research Center. That’s a gap that will be difficult to close with one speech; one that came after Trump’s tariff policy was slapped down by the Supreme Court and as the Department of Homeland Security has partially shut down over a funding fight.

Republicans, dispirited by a spate of election losses, will likely be buoyed by the president’s remarks. With polls showing Americans souring on Trump’s handling of the economy, Republicans have urged Trump to travel the country and focus on affordability. Instead, he has openly mocked the word, strayed off topic and recently claimed to have the issue solved in a speech in Georgia.

Tuesday night’s remarks were far more focused. The president stayed on topic, even if his speech was often at odds with how Americans experience the economy.

Trump’s approval rating stands at 36%, down from 48% a year ago. His standing has dropped among every demographic, even Republicans, according to a CNN poll. More worrisome for Trump and Republicans is his standing among independents, which are now America’s largest political bloc. A year ago, 41% approved of Trump; now, just 26% have a favorable view of the president, the lowest mark during either of his terms.

“Their [Democrats] policies created the high prices. Our policies are rapidly ending them. We are doing really well. Those prices are plummeting downward. The price of eggs is down 60 precent,” Trump said. “The cost of chicken, butter, fruit, hotels, automobiles, rent is lower today than when I took office by a lot. Even beef, which was very high, is starting to come down significantly. Just hold on a little while. We are getting it down and soon you will see numbers that few people would think were possible to achieve just a short time ago.”

The economy as Americans experience it is much more complicated, with some prices on everyday goods rising since Trump took office and some declining.

Moreover, Americans name the cost of health care as their top economic concern, according to a KFF poll. It has recently outpaced worries over the cost of housing, food, utilities and gas. Yet Trump offered little relief beyond lower drug prices for Americans looking for a comprehensive approach to soaring health care costs; his “Great Health Care Plan” has largely stalled in Congress.

Nevertheless, big speeches have often been a strong suit of the president, who revels in the pageantry of the setting and the millions who typically tune in. Trump doled out medals and staged surprise reunions throughout his speech. Early on, the president recognized the gold-medal-winning U.S. men’s hockey team, a moment that brought both Democrats and Republicans to their feet.

But that level of bipartisan agreement was rare.

As Trump’s speech wore on, he increasingly focused on Democrats, whom he called “crazy.”

On immigration, Trump tried to take back the narrative of an overreaching mass deportation campaign by blaming Democrats for the partial shuttering of DHS and for being too sympathetic to immigrants. Trump’s standing on immigration has also taken a hit, with most Americans viewing his administration as having gone too far after the killing of two American citizens in Minneapolis, a city he tried to paint as rife with fraud. This was the most combative stretch of Trump’s speech, with some Democrats — who have increasingly gone on offense on immigration — yelling back at Trump.

“If you agree with this statement, then stand up and show your support. The first duty of the American government is to protect American citizens, not illegal aliens,” Trump said, as Republicans rose to applaud and Democrats remained in their seats.

Trump was clearly pleased with this stunt, gesturing toward Democrats and gloating, “You should be ashamed of yourself, not standing up. You should be ashamed of yourself.”

This dichotomy will surely show up in campaign ads as Republicans seek to paint Democrats as too soft on immigration.

But so might another.“The golden age of America is upon us,” Trump said in the closing minutes of his speech. Most Americans don’t experience their lives this way right now. And a speech, even a very long one packed with theatrics, won’t likely convince them otherwise.

Nia-Malika Henderson is a politics and policy columnist for Bloomberg Opinion. A former senior political reporter for CNN and the Washington Post, she has covered politics and campaigns for almost two decades.