The Republican Party faces a brewing storm of economic discontent that threatens to undermine its midterm strategy, according to party insiders.
Top Republicans acknowledge they haven't done enough to sell the “one big, beautiful bill" as cost-of-living concerns continue to rise across the political spectrum, and GOP pollsters are sounding the alarm to lawmakers as they struggle to address health care and other affordability issues, reported Politico.
"While many in the GOP — including Trump — continue to lay blame for their economic problems with former President Joe Biden, there are clear warning signs for Republicans," the outlet reported. "Forty-six percent of respondents in a recent Politico poll said the cost of living is the worst they can remember it being. That includes 37 percent of those who voted for Trump in 2024, and about a quarter of Trump voters say he is either fully or mainly responsible for the current state of the economy."
Republicans are struggling to unite around a health care plan to prevent Obamacare premium spikes set to kick in next month, and efforts to alleviate Trump's tariffs have foundered in the House, and the administration's proposal to send out $2,000 rebate checks wasn't greeted with enthusiasm on Capitol Hill.
“The cost of living is a legitimate issue — I think it was one of the main reasons President Trump was elected. I think it’s still an issue,” said Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA).
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) insisted "Republicans are dialed in like a laser" on the cost of living, but economic benefits from the megabill Republicans promised have not yet materialized after GOP lawmakers have repeatedly gotten bogged down by internal conflicts, including a lengthy government shutdown and debates over the Jeffrey Epstein files, further eroding public confidence.
Trump himself has complicated matters by dismissing affordability concerns as a "hoax," a stance that further alienates voters feeling economic pressure. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) pointedly criticized this approach last week.
“They are in a bubble from Donald Trump on down,” Schumer said. “Donald Trump says there’s no affordability crisis — what kind of world is he living in?”
The Republican Study Committee is pushing for additional legislative measures, but party leaders like Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) remain hesitant. A potential second reconciliation bill faces significant obstacles, with the party divided on policy specifics and the midterm elections approaching, Politico reported.
"Tony Fabrizio, a top Trump pollster, also urged members of the RSC last week to tackle high prices for prescription drugs and housing — warning members in a closed-door meeting that affordability concerns were a key reason a House special election in Tennessee was so close," Politico reported.
GOP leaders in both the House and Senate are scrambling to cobble together a health care overhaul to present, but so far no proposals have garnered much support among the competing factions inside the party.
“It’s a disaster,” said Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO). “Health care, as it currently is, is too expensive for everybody.”
