White House weighs stepped up domestic travel and speeches to improve Trump's standing on the economy
Source: CNN Politics
PUBLISHED Nov 12, 2025, 4:00 AM ET
President Donald Trumps advisers have had conversations about him traveling the country to give economy-focused speeches as they privately weigh a number of strategies to improve his standing on the issue, administration officials told CNN.
Trumps advisers acknowledge that they have an affordability problem that the president has bristled at in public: Americans outlook on the economy is dour, and the administrations efforts to ease their financial anxieties arent resonating. You cant convince people that their experience, what theyre feeling at home, isnt reality, one of the officials said.
White House officials have advised the president not to brush away or outright dismiss that Americans are feeling squeezed by rising prices, they said. They have been actively putting policy time as one of the officials characterized it on Trumps schedule with the goal of accelerating the administrations efforts to tackle inflation.
While Trump has talked extensively about affordability in recent days, he has often downplayed the strain Americans are feeling, suggesting in a Fox News interview on Monday that polls capturing Americans economic anxiety are fake. One of the strategies being discussed in the West Wing is for Trump to turn much of his attention to his domestic agenda. That includes ramping up his domestic travel, the officials said, and pulling back on his international trips. As the holidays draw near, theres also a push to coordinate new messaging on what the administration is doing to help lower costs.
Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2025/11/12/politics/trump-economy-white-house-strategy
His "domestic agenda" is terrorizing cities with ICE and National Guard jack-booted thugs, purging every institution - whether government, media, big retail corporations, law firms, educational institutions, from pre-K through college, of anything to do with the diverse cultures that are part of the fabric of this country'; eliminating anything that would help to mitigate climate catastrophes (as well as terminating any assistance or hope for assistance, to those who ARE impacted by such catastrophes); ensuring that the health systems and practices that have been carefully put in place over many decades, are obliterated; weaponizing the top federal law enforcement entity to "take revenge" on investigators who were carrying out their lawful duties; and lining his, his family's, and his businesses' pockets, with as much money as he can extort, from both domestic, AND foreign sources.
The "domestic agenda" is essentially tearing apart the fabric, and tearing down the infrastructure of this country, both figuratively and literally, and infesting it with greedy oligarchs, and the bottom-feeding dregs of society, who will gladly assist in inflicting as much pain, both physical and psychological, on the world.
rubbersole
(10,876 posts)Or LA. Or NYC. Or Chicago. They're all ready to welcome Dear Leader with open arms. 🫶
Prairie Gates
(6,822 posts)bucolic_frolic
(53,252 posts)His advisors must be lacking in something intelligent. 50 year mortgages? Now an economy victory tour? To a citizenry hungry for food and jobs?
Prairie Gates
(6,822 posts)johnnyfins
(3,250 posts)will NEVER be able to stay on message.
electric_blue68
(24,886 posts)PatSeg
(51,476 posts)His health can't take that kind of activity and pressure, plus he will only make things worse.
Raven123
(7,312 posts)PatSeg
(51,476 posts)I'm sensing that attitude among some republican members of congress as well. I think everyone knows it is almost over. They want this nightmare to be over.
Irish_Dem
(77,889 posts)Some uppers to make sure he doesn't fall asleep during his own speech.
But not too much or he gets manic as hell.
And then something to make him sound vaguely coherent.
Clearly he needs to be administered periodic IVs of some medication. He would have to travel with a team of doctors and nurses, as well as medical equipment. I'm not sure if they can give him anything to make him "sound vaguely coherent" though.
Irish_Dem
(77,889 posts)No one really knew how very sick he was.
Traveled with a medical team and where ever he went he had to travel close to a big
military hospital so he could be administered his daily IVs.
Yes the same will be true of Trump.
He travels with a medical team and visits are close to large military hospitals.
There also has to be a psychiatrist prescribing meds.
Right, the coherence medication is tricky if it even exists to the extent it would work on Trump.
PatSeg
(51,476 posts)Treating Trump's physical condition(s) is probably a lot easier than treating his psychological ones especially as his dementia seems to be worsening.
Patching him up enough to sit in his chair in the Oval Office for an hour or so is a lot different than caring for him on the road doing rallies. Of course add to that the fact that Trump rallies would not be received well at this time. I think the party's over.
Irish_Dem
(77,889 posts)On top of the recreational drugs Trump takes.
Long time adderall and cocaine addict.
Exactly getting him through a press conference in the confines of his home and home office
is very different from a long demanding road trip with frequent speeches and fund raisers.
Even young healthy people have a hard time with these kind of grueling work trips.
And yes Trump will get booed along the way and the press may be bad for a change.
I agree, from a clinical standpoint it is not a tenable plan.
If I were the shrink, I would quit on the spot.
PatSeg
(51,476 posts)will work for him, I suppose any shrink they might hire to babysit him would probably be incompetent.
Recently I read someone's theory that it is possible Trump is receiving a new medication for dementia which is administered intravenously every two weeks along with a brain scan and cognitive tests. That would rather fit what we've witnessed so far. Then on top of THAT, he has other conditions that require treatment as well.
Yeah, I don't see Trump ever going on the road again.
Irish_Dem
(77,889 posts)Especially one given by IV.
And needing brain scan and testing.
They must be desperate.
Yes the new meds might explain his up and down mental status presentation.
But yes there are also other conditions requiring medical care.
I agree, it is highly unlikely Trump will go on a lengthy road trip again.
He is not capable of it.
Of course, Trump could pull a Putin and use a body double.
I know that Melania has used them.
PatSeg
(51,476 posts)could explain him frequently falling asleep while on camera.
I can't begin to imagine finding anyone who could pass for Trump though. He truly is one-of-a-kind, perversely unique.
Irish_Dem
(77,889 posts)You can see he can barely stay awake.
And he is very slowed down.
This is to counter the days he appears manic.
I have wondered if he is bi-polar.
Putin has people undergo surgery to make them look like him.
No telling what Trump does.
The one double I saw of Melania was ridiculous.
She was a good 20 years younger than Melania.
Didn't look like Melania at all. But wore big sunglasses and hat with wide brim.
Arms were the giveaway. Upper arms of a 30 year old.
And she let Trump kiss her and smiled.
PatSeg
(51,476 posts)to impersonate someone like Melania with the hair, clothes, and sunglasses. Trump would be a much greater challenge.
Obviously I don't know if he's bi-polar though a mix of different medications could create the appearance that he is. Even when he wasn't ill, he did have extreme mood swings though.
Irish_Dem
(77,889 posts)Some wondered if it was actually Melania who went with Trump to the UK.
She wore a huge hat most of the time and no one could see her face.
Even indoors to meet the King and Queen. It was really creepy and odd.
I think it was the real Melania, hiding some recent facial work.
Yes Trump would be a challenge but his face is already mostly fake.
The dark orange bronzer and fake hair do.
The strange thing though is that even if he started looking quite different, no one would care.
The media may not even report it and if they did, the public would ignore it like everything else.
Yes it is impossible to determine if Trump is actually bipolar or not until he detoxes and comes off
all his uppers and downers.
PatSeg
(51,476 posts)That Melania was hiding recent plastic surgery. I agree it was rather peculiar.
I think Trump's bipolar-like behavior has been with him his entire life, even as a child. I suppose medication would only make it worse.
Irish_Dem
(77,889 posts)But some with the illness hate the meds.
They love the highs and lows.
Trump strikes me as someone who would not take the meds.
PatSeg
(51,476 posts)the medication kills creativity and makes people feel dead inside. When a person has adverse reactions to medications, it is often hard to explain to others. It isn't always something that is easy to describe.
Irish_Dem
(77,889 posts)But in reality they don't like the lack of mania.
Which makes them feel alive and creative.
And there may be something to it.
There is a thin line sometimes between madness and artistic genius.
So it is not an adverse reaction, the meds are doing what they are supposed to do.
Make a person have a normal brain chemistry.
PatSeg
(51,476 posts)experience it themselves to completely understand. I've known young people who went ballistic when they had to take medication for ADD. Being I've taken medication that had an adverse effect on me, I try to be understanding. It was then that I began to understand what others must have been going through.
The worst is often when a person is on several medications and it is hard to pinpoint what was causing the issue or issues. To the observer, it is just a side effect, but for the patient, it is something they have to live with every day, all day.
Dorothy V
(411 posts)through a simple presser without falling asleep, its gait is abysmal, and its sentences are word salad. They have no idea what it will say next, and it surely won't stick to whatever topics they have chosen. Any rallies will be disastrous for it, and show more and more what we already know, that it is decrepit, demented, and getting worse every day as it slowly (too slowly!) slides into sundown land.
electric_blue68
(24,886 posts)Journeyman
(15,409 posts)Irish_Dem
(77,889 posts)Trump won't remember or care.
He knows better than the experts.
Martin68
(26,628 posts)Chasstev365
(6,729 posts)The Boos will be so loud they would hear them in Canada!
Wicked Blue
(8,368 posts)William Seger
(12,043 posts)Translating CNN to English: A growing number of people aren't buying his bullshit.
Prairie Gates
(6,822 posts)I can see how the resonance is not there...
electric_blue68
(24,886 posts)Can we please find the timeline of Mdme President Harris?!!
😬 😑 😔
Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin
(130,943 posts)ananda
(33,974 posts)and show even more people how demented
and crazy you are.
Solly Mack
(96,057 posts)Maeve
(43,319 posts)Have they actually listened to him lately??
discntnt_irny_srcsm
(18,702 posts)I guess mr popularity learned this from his handlers elsewhere.
I expect soon there will be an official news agency established. Maybe it'll even rhyme with TASS...something like CRASS.
Oh wait. There is:
Captain Zero
(8,624 posts)Go for it.
lees1975
(6,844 posts)sounds like a great strategy---to benefit Democrats.
maxsolomon
(37,820 posts)So sure, roll his rotting carcass back on the stump - he won't convince a single rube that isn't already convinced.
Blasphemer
(3,532 posts)C_U_L8R
(48,541 posts)
while theres a lame-brained doofus at the helm fucking everything up.
But sure, go ahead and try to polish that big orange turd.
Paladin
(32,005 posts)Have a swell time, going from city to city, finding out what the country thinks of you, now!
Bobstandard
(2,103 posts)They want to accelerate his physical and mental decline so the VP can take over. Cruelty to their own Dear Leader is so on brand!
Irish_Dem
(77,889 posts)Terrible decision on the part of Trump's team but does benefit JD.
Rebl2
(17,213 posts)talk all he wants, if he doesnt have actual solutions to high prices, hes wasting his time and taxpayers money and he has wasted enough of that already.
maxrandb
(17,005 posts)Jack Valentino
(4,017 posts)tell us about your great economy---
preferably in outdoor venues announced long in advance,
so that all those who love you best will have the opportunity to see you in person!
(fresh air is usually good for your health, dontcha know!)