A pair of commentators clashed on CNN over President Donald Trump's affordability crisis and how his efforts to ease it have landed with voters.
Republicans will gather next week in Dallas for an unprecedented midterm convention intended to rally the president's MAGA base, but Democratic strategist Antjuan Seawright challenged conservative activist Terry Schilling on "CNN This Morning" to defend Trump's record on the top voter issue.
"You're telling me that the do-nothing Congress and do-nothing president's agenda is selling to the American people?" Seawright said. "Have you seen the polling data for Democrats, Republicans and everyday Americans and what they feel about this president's agenda? The president and the Congress are underwater on every single major issue they campaigned on, and voters are going to pull the plug in November as a result of their failure."
Schilling countered by pointing out that Democrats' approval ratings weren't much better, and Seawright batted that down.
"But you all are in charge," Seawright said. "People are going to vote against the people who are in charge."
Host Audie Cornish questioned the optics of Trump charging donors $88,600 to take a photo with him at the convention, and Schilling said Republicans need more campaign cash to preserve their congressional majorities.
"We need more money," he said. "Look, there's a lot of money in politics, and if you have a problem with money in politics, that's fine, but it's not a Republican thing. The Democrats are outraising us. It's not good, it's not helpful. James Talarico is hosting these major fundraisers in the Hamptons, at Martha's Vineyard, for Texas. What do those people care about Texas?"
Seawright asked Schilling to identify one policy the president had introduced to help lower the cost of living.
"One thing," he said. "Name one thing this White House has done to lower costs for the American people."
Schilling protested, saying that "literally every thing" the administration has done so far was meant to lower costs and keep money in the U.S.
"Point to it," Seawright interjected. "Point to it. Point to one thing that's lower cost for the American people."
Schilling argued that Democrats were going to let tax cuts expire for American families, and Seawright said that wasn't the same thing.
"You cannot point to one thing that's lowered costs for everyday Americans in this country," Seawright said.
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