A former Republican lawmaker cringed during a segment on CNN after she was shown a clip of President Donald Trump grading his economy on Tuesday.
Trump told Politico's podcast, "The Conversation," earlier on Tuesday that his economy gets an "A+++++" for its performance. That's despite public polling showing that about half of Americans see the rising cost of living as their top concern heading into the 2026 midterm.
Jamie Herrera Beutler, a former Republican lawmaker from Washington, discussed Trump's comments during a panel on CNN's "The Arena" with host Manu Raju.
Raju showed Beutler a clip of Trump saying that voters perceive his economy as doing well.
"It's so painful!" she cringed.
Trump made his comments ahead of a speech he is giving in a swing district in Pennsylvania on Tuesday night. The president is expected to focus on affordability and lowering the cost of living, a message that Democrats have used to win several key races.
For example, Virginia Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger focused her campaign on affordability, as did Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani, who won the race for New York City mayor in November.
Trump has disparaged voters' concerns about affordability, calling the word a "Democratic scam."
"There's nothing wrong with a little humility," Beutler said.
