An analyst Thursday warned that President Donald Trump's worst issue is coming — and it's only a matter of time.
Salon columnist Heather Digby Parton called Trump's primetime speech Wednesday night "a masterclass in gaslighting" and described how his move to ignore or gloss over "the economic vibes" has put him in the same position as his predecessor and favorite person to blame: former President Joe Biden. And with the 2026 midterms just months away, he's putting Republicans worried about elections in a tough position.
"The president's false claims about economic conditions are the latest indication that he's in serious trouble," Digby Parton wrote.
Those statements are also turning off Trump voters and led to victories for Democrats in New Jersey and Virginia in November. The motivating factor for their switch was anxiety over the rising cost of living in the U.S., according to the new reporting.
"They were apparently not persuaded by Trump’s insistence that we are on the cusp of a new golden age which will manifest itself over the next six months or year," Digby Parton wrote.
As midterms inch closer, and dissatisfaction over the economy heightens, the GOP will have to face a mounting challenge.
"At this point I have to assume that any Republican lawmaker who has the least bit of concern about winning in next November’s midterm elections — if they haven’t already announced their retirement — would love to be able to tell Trump, Vance, Bessent and others to stay home," Digby Parton wrote. "Every time they open their mouths about the economy, their approval ratings go down. There is no way that these messengers can possibly be helpful to the GOP cause — and Trump’s primetime address was no exception."
