Leavitt says Trump is fixing Biden's 'affordability crisis' ahead of 2026 midterms

WASHINGTON, DC: White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on Saturday, July 25, defended President Donald Trump's economic record while discussing the Republican strategy for the 2026 midterm elections, arguing that the administration has focused on addressing Americans' concerns over the cost of living since taking office.

During an interview with Lara Trump, Leavitt said the administration recognizes affordability remains a top issue for voters and attributed rising costs to the previous Biden administration. Her remarks came days after Trump himself dismissed "affordability" as a Democratic talking point while promoting his administration's economic agenda at a campaign-style rally in Georgia.

Leavitt says Trump is addressing Biden's 'affordability crisis' ahead of midterms

During the interview, Lara Trump noted that the party controlling the White House has historically faced challenges in midterm elections and pointed to the cost of living as a leading issue for voters.

"When you look at the top issue among voters right now, it seems to be the cost of living. So what steps have been taken by the White House to really address that? Because that's going to be important as we head towards November," Lara Trump asked.

Leavitt responded by arguing that the administration inherited the nation's affordability challenges from former President Joe Biden and congressional Democrats.

"Yeah. Well, the president and the White House, we fully recognize that. And I would remind your viewers and the American people of who caused the affordability crisis in this country. It was Joe Biden and it was the Democrats in this city when they were in power," she said.

Leavitt added that Trump "took immediate action on day one" through "his overall economic formula of tax cuts, deregulation, and energy dominance," saying those policies have guided the administration's economic agenda over the past year and a half.

She also highlighted what she described as the largest middle-class tax cut in history, the creation of Trump Accounts, and healthcare price transparency initiatives, arguing that "all of these things that he is doing will only get better if given two more years with a Republican Congress."

Trump's comments on affordability preceded Leavitt's remarks

Leavitt's comments came after Trump addressed affordability during a campaign-style rally in Marietta, Georgia, on July 22, where he questioned the use of the term while defending his administration's economic record.

"They said, affordability! I said, I've been here one day. Don't worry, I'll take care of it, and we're taking care of it, you know? We're taking good care of it," Trump told supporters.

The president also argued that the word itself was politically motivated, saying, "It was a word, you know, made up by the Democrats, affordability."

During the Georgia event, Trump also maintained that prices have begun declining under his administration while attributing inflation to the Biden administration.

He pointed to lower egg prices as an example of easing costs and promoted the Trump Accounts program, a tax-advantaged savings initiative that provides federally funded investment accounts for children born between 2025 and 2028.