Republican Louisiana Sen. John Kennedy rejected claims President Donald Trumpâs coalition is âfalling apartâ over affordability concerns expressed by many Americans.
Trump dismissed affordability of living expenses as a Democrat talking point, even as Republicans weigh how to address such voter concerns after Democrats leaned on the issue to win in the 2025 elections. Appearing on Fox Newsâs âThe Sunday Briefing,â Kennedy pushed back on the suggestion new voters who helped return Trump to the White House are abandoning the GOP over affordability concerns.
âI donât think the coalition is falling apart. I think that when the American people speak, you better listen to them,â Kennedy said. âAnd I think that we needâ the president and the United States Senate need to be working on things that moms and dads worry about when they lie down to sleep at night and canât.â
The Louisiana senator then said Republicans already have tools to address those concerns but lack urgency in using them.
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âAnd one of the things is the cost of living. And what Iâm telling you is there are things we can do that the president canât do but, in order to do it, the United States Senate has to get up off its ice-cold lazy butt. And you canât use the excuse, âWell, the Democrats wonât go along with it,ââ Kennedy noted. âOf course they wonât. But we donât need their votes. We can do it through reconciliation.â
After Democrats swept a series of high-profile November elections, White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Legislative, Political and Public Affairs James Blair told Politico that Republicans plan to shift their message toward affordability ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, following Democratsâ recent playbook.
âThe president is very keyed into whatâs going on, and he recognizes, like anybody, that it takes time to do an economic turnaround, but all the fundamentals are there, and I think youâll see him be very, very focused on prices and cost of living,â Blair told the outlet.
Radio host Hugh Hewitt said Friday that Republicans could gain momentum heading into the midterms if they anchor their message on everyday costs and fuel prices. He argued that policies expanding domestic energy output are starting to ease price pressures nationwide, citing wide differences in gasoline prices while noting an overall downward trend.
âI think if the message remains âAffordability decides elections,â Republicans are going to like next November because most prices depend upon energy. And the energy production policies that you saw Secretary Wright refer to there and Secretary Burgum over at Interior are bringing the cost of oil and gas down,â Hewitt told Fox News host Bret Baier.
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