'Big problem': Strategist warns Trump's 'Marie Antoinette' style could backfire on GOP
Anyone casually familiar with President Donald Trump knows that he has a particular affinity for the finer things in life, from gold ornamentation to luxury properties. But those gaudy style choices could come back to haunt the GOP during next year's midterms, according to one analyst.
During the 2024 campaign, Trump promised voters that he would fix the economic issues that his predecessor allegedly caused. However, the economy has added few jobs during his first term in office, and inflation remains sticky partly because of the president's tariff regime.
David Axelrod, CNN's chief political analyst, said on Monday that Trump also appears to be more concerned with renaming buildings after himself than lowering costs for Americans. This "Marie Antoinette-style" problem could come back to bite the GOP during the midterms, he warned.
"People are saying to themselves, 'What the hell does that have to do with me? I thought he was going to be fighting for me to bring my costs down,'" Axelrod said on "Erin Burnett OutFront." "And [Trump] seems obsessed with gold and putting his name on things and remodeling buildings and rebuilding monuments to himself."
"I think this is a huge political problem for him," he continued. "It's a symbol of his distraction. It's the Marie Antoinette thing that he's got going. That is a big political problem."