New York Times White House Correspondent Maggie Haberman on Friday pointed to a disconnect between voters and President Trump after he told reporters he does not think “even a little bit” about Americans’ financial situations when dealing with Iran.
“He has seemed far less attuned to voters’ concerns lately and has been publicly talking more about himself and about what he perceives as injuries to himself, and condemning coverage and insisting that it’s not real,” the longtime Trump reporter said during an appearance on CNN’s “The Source with Kaitlan Collins.”
Asked why that was, Haberman attributed the shift to Trump not being on the ballot, having a smaller information ecosystem, a more positive feedback loop and a changing White House press corps.
“For all of those reasons, I think that he is feeling like he is going to listen to what he believes, and also he thinks,” she said. “He relied on his instincts to win the election in 2024. He did win. He won it decisively, and his party has been in power.”
“However, at a certain point you can only control what you can control, and gas prices are what they are, and people can feel that,” she added.
The Trump administration has been faced with a messaging challenge regarding the conflict, as voters feel the squeeze of rising inflation and surging energy prices.
Drivers are seeing sharp increases at the pump, with the cost of gas nearing $4.52 on average across the country, according to AAA.
“I think he is very adamant that he can sell this war that the American government is engaged in right now,” Haberman said. “He is telling people that they should relax and trust him, and things should get better.”
Trump dismissed Americans’ economic anxieties earlier this week, doubling down on comments suggesting pocketbook issues have not factored into his approach toward Iran and he was only concerned about ensuring Tehran does not have a nuclear weapon.
“That’s a perfect statement. I’d make it again,” Trump told Fox News’s Bret Baier when asked about the remark.
The affordability issue has become a potential political liability for Republicans heading into the November midterm elections, as recent polling shows the war is deeply unpopular and many Americans blame Trump for surging prices.
A PBS News/NPR/Marist poll conducted late last month found that roughly six in 10 Americans disapprove of how Trump is handling Iran and believe the U.S. military operation has done more harm than good.
“Ultimately, if you are in the Republican Party and you are tethered to Donald Trump in the midterms, you don’t really want to hear that quote in an ad, and you’re very likely to,” Haberman said.
