President Donald Trump is taking his economic message on the road as Democrats turn up the heat on the issue a year out from the 2026 midterm elections ‒ while some Republicans say he has taken his eye off the ball. Trump's speech Dec. 9 at the Mount Airy Casino Resort in Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania comes as the White House and Republicans struggle with their response to affordability concerns of Americans. The working-class town sits in a swing congressional district and adjacent to another, in a battleground state that has could determine control of the House next year. Democrats have overperformed in elections across the country as they run on a message of affordability ahead of the midterms. A poll from Politico last week found 46% of Americans ‒ including 37% of Trump voters ‒ believe the cost of living in the United States is the worst they can remember.