Mark Kelly says Trump trying to 'fleece' Americans out of their money with affordability plans

WASHINGTON, DC: Senator Mark Kelly said President Donald Trump was singularly focused on trying to “fleece” Americans out of their money. His criticism came as the White House intensified its push on an affordability-focused message aimed at reassuring voters that the administration was easing cost-of-living pressures.

“The president doesn’t understand anything about what the American people go through,” Kelly said during an interview on Wednesday, December 10.

Kelly spent much of the interview sharply criticizing Trump’s handling of the country’s finances and the way he has pitched his economic achievements.

Mark Kelly says president's priorities are different 

Speaking on 'The Jim Acosta Show,' Kelly argued that Trump showed little understanding of the financial strain families faced, and suggested the president’s priorities had little to do with easing those pressures.

“I mean, all this guy cares about is figuring out how he can fleece the American people out of their money, including his supporters,” Kelly said.

Host Jim Acosta noted that several attendees leaving Trump’s Tuesday event told reporters they may like Trump personally but were still struggling through a national affordability crisis.

“My guest today @SenMarkKelly responds to Trump saying the economy gets an A plus plus plus plus plus. Kelly also takes on Hegseth as well as Trump’s hateful comments on ‘shithole countries.’ Full interview later today on Substack plus YouTube,” Acosta said in a clip shared on social media.

“I feel really bad for those folks,” Kelly added. “Those folks that showed up at that rally last night that are signing up for Trump phones that they’ll never get, that buy his meme coin, and then, you know, Don Jr. does a rug pull, and they lose their retirement savings.”

Kelly said the pattern reflected what he called a broader failure. “This presidency has been a travesty for this country,” he said.

Donald Trump's tech ventures faced questions over delays and transparency

The president’s two eldest sons drew attention in June when they rolled out Trump Mobile, a new wireless carrier paired with a US-built T1 smartphone. NBC News said it put down a $100 deposit “for the purposes of tracking the $499 phone’s development,” yet never received any updates. As of late last month, the outlet reported “no signs that the phone has become a reality.”

The $TRUMP meme coin, launched just before Trump entered office this year, saw a brief surge before later tumbling in value. A large share of the token was controlled by the Trump Organization and groups aligned with it, and the developers earned a cut each time the coin was traded. Donald Trump Jr. has publicly denied any involvement with the cryptocurrency.

Donald Trump promoted ‘No Tax on Tips’ plan while dismissing criticism 

Trump began his “affordability” tour this week with a speech at a Pennsylvania casino, where he promoted his “No Tax on Tips” plan and argued it would help workers keep more of their earnings. Some attendees said the idea could ease their daily expenses.

The White House also released a detailed message outlining cost-of-living initiatives. Trump insisted his administration was working to bring down prices and rejected claims that affordability remained a political liability. He called those criticisms a Democratic “hoax” meant to score partisan points.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Thursday, December 11, that “President Trump was fixing it right now” as she fielded questions about the affordability crisis.