After chaotic tariff war and chasing Nobel Prize, Trump comes down to earth facing his base

US President Donald Trump shifted focus to domestic concerns at a Pennsylvania rally, invoking affordability amid economic anxieties. While reiterating past achievements, he avoided new policy specifics, as Republican lawmakers worry high prices and slipping poll numbers could hurt them in next year’s House elections.

New York: After waging a chaotic tariff war, singling out countries indiscriminately, and chasing a Nobel Prize with some claims that are dubious, US President Donald Trump has come down to earth, facing his base of supporters amid concerns over affordability.

He pivoted on Tuesday to a domestic audience at a rally at a casino resort in Pennsylvania under the banner, ‘Lower Prices; Bigger Paychecks’, in scenes recalling his massive election campaign meetings.

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There were expectations that he would make announcements on economic issues affecting voters facing stubbornly high prices, but he, instead, repeated his record of lower prices of petrol, the “highest” levels of investments running into trillions, and job creation.

In his rambling speech, he lampooned his predecessor Joe Biden, hit out at Democrats, brought back elements of the culture war like transgender men in women’s sports, warned Europe on immigration, and condemned renewable energy, and peppered it with his style of humour, some risque.

He also spoke of “peace through power” — ending conflicts — and what he said were the accomplishments of his tariffs, though not their contributions to rising prices.

He said immigrants who contribute and assimilate are welcome, but lashed out against those immigrants, legal and illegal, who he said were criminals.

Many criminal illegal migrants, he asserted, were let in under Biden — who he said was so enfeebled he didn’t make the decision but the “radical left” around him did.

Kicking off his renewed domestic campaign in Pennsylvania was significant because it is a key swing state that helped his victory in 2025.

He had made more high-visibility travels abroad than domestically, and he said his advisors had told him to get on the campaign trail again.

House of Representatives election looms next year, and within his Republican Party, there are misgivings over the lack of focus on domestic economic issues.

His party’s Congressman Tony Gonzales voiced the concern, telling NBC News, “If we don’t do that, we would be morons, because the economy is very much on people’s minds.”

“The word affordability is a Democrat scam,” Trump said recently.

But on Tuesday, he declared, “Let’s make America Affordable again”, with scant specifics.

Democrats made headway in recent elections by hammering “affordability” — the high prices and housing costs.

The Democratic Party wins in governors’ elections in Virginia, where it wrested the post from Republicans, and in New Jersey, and the paring of the lead Trump had by about 10 per cent in a Tennessee House constituency in a recent election is a concern for his party legislators.

Republicans have a slender seven-seat majority in the House, and if there is a Democratic majority after next year’s elections, it could make Trump vulnerable to impeachments that dogged him in the first term.

Some polls have flashed ominous signs. Quantus’ generic Congressional poll showed a 4 per cent lead for Democrats.

A Ramussen poll out on Tuesday had 54 per cent disapproving of Trump’s performance, and 44 per cent approving. An Economist/YouGov poll had 57 per cent saying the country was on the wrong track and 36 per cent in the right direction.

Despite his scepticism about affordability, Trump has turned to economic issues facing voters. Trump promised a $2,000 payment to most Americans, calling it a “Tariff Dividend Cheque”. He launched a Trump Account for newborns with a starter of $1,000 from the government and funds from donations.

On Monday, he announced $12 billion would be distributed to farmers to make up for their losses due to the tariff war that hit mainly soy and corn exports. Trump has been pressing the Federal Reserve to cut the interest rate to stimulate the economy.

Many economists and investors expect a cut of 0.25 per cent on Wednesday from the 3.75 per cent to 4 per cent range after the 0.25 per cent cut in October. It will be some time — perhaps years — before voters see any benefits from the tariffs and the investments Trump has muscled in. He has blamed the high cost of living on the rampant inflation during his predecessor Joe Biden’s term, when it reached 19 per cent.

But for optics, the prices haven’t come down as he had promised in his campaign, and, though lower, inflation is at 3 per cent even after he has been in power.