Republicans Panic After Election Losses: White House Admits Trump ‘Stopped Talking About the Cost of Living’

After a bruising election night that saw Democrats rack up major wins across several states, Republicans inside the White House are pointing to a deeper problem facing the party: President Donald Trump isn’t talking enough about the issue voters are most desperate to hear about — the cost of living.

Publicly, GOP officials are insisting that Tuesday’s losses simply came down to “candidate quality.” But privately, there’s far more concern that Trump has drifted away from the kitchen-table economic message that helped power his 2024 win.

“People don’t think he’s lived up to his promises,” said one White House ally. “You won on lowering costs and putting more money back in people’s pockets. And people don’t feel that right now.”

The source compared Trump’s messaging problem to the one Joe Biden faced before leaving office — telling Americans the economy was improving while many were still struggling to afford groceries, rent, and health care.

Meanwhile, Trump has spent recent weeks emphasizing foreign policy achievements, his tariff battles, and court fights — even as families find themselves squeezed by rising prices and reduced food assistance during the ongoing government shutdown.

“The President hasn’t talked about the cost of living in months,” another person close to the White House said. “People are hurting. They want to know the White House is paying attention.”

Republican strategists say the problem showed up clearly in New Jersey and Virginia, where GOP candidates failed to connect with voters on inflation and affordability. That misstep, they say, was costly.

James Blair, Trump’s former political adviser and now deputy chief of staff, acknowledged the issue directly and said Trump is preparing to shift his focus.

“You’ll see the president talk a lot about cost of living as we turn into the new year,” Blair said. He argued that Trump believes an economic reset is coming — and plans to take credit when it arrives.

Former White House strategist Steve Bannon echoed that message, urging Trump to double down on his populist economic agenda.

“If you execute the agenda, we’re going to be in good shape,” Bannon said. “You’ve just got to get on with it.”

Vice President JD Vance also chimed in, saying Republicans need to “focus on the home front” and make everyday life affordable again.

But others in the party have been warning for months that the White House was prioritizing global affairs over domestic struggles. Even Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene had publicly complained that Trump risked repeating Biden’s mistake of appearing out of touch.

Trump, however, offered a very different explanation for Tuesday’s results: “TRUMP WASN’T ON THE BALLOT,” he wrote on Truth Social, insisting the losses had nothing to do with him.

Some Republicans also blamed individual campaign failures, pointing specifically to Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears’ defeat in Virginia — a blow to Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s future ambitions.

Still, Trump’s team argues the party’s setbacks are fixable — if Republicans sharpen their message and nominate stronger candidates.

“I think this is an overcomeable problem,” Blair said. “But we have to get back to talking about what voters actually care about.”

Screenshot of Truth Social –

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