“There’s this fake narrative that the Democrats talk about—affordability. They just say the word, it doesn’t mean anything to anybody,” Trump said. He went on to say “the word ‘affordability’ is a con job by the Democrats” and said it was a “Democrat[ic] scam.”

Trump has made affordability worse for middle- and working-class families since he took over an economy in recovery under former President Joe Biden. Trump has pushed tariffs against the advice of economic experts that have increased costs which are being passed on to consumers. Trump has overseen nine straight months of manufacturing job losses as a result.

Meanwhile as Americans struggle to pay bills and look for jobs, Trump has spent his time obsessing over his plans for a gigantic ballroom at the White House. He reportedly has been feuding with the architect because he wants the new structure to be almost twice the size of the existing White House building.

Despite Trump’s rhetoric on affordability, he and other Republicans have long shown an aversion to using the power of the government to address costs. Republicans and conservatives have historically paid lip service to the topic while focusing on increasing the wealth of the rich.