'We've tackled inflation and nearly every other issue': Trump visits Pennsylvania to discuss cost of living, while asserting it's not an issue

A White House representative indicated that Trump was scheduled to journey there to address the conclusion of the inflation predicament, which he asserts was passed down from his predecessor, Joe Biden. The representative communicated this on the understanding of anonymity, as the trip hasn't been officially publicized. It wasn't readily apparent which specific location in Pennsylvania Trump intended to visit.

Last month’s off-year elections indicated a move from Republicans as ongoing worries about cost continue. White House representatives stated subsequently that Trump, who has held a limited number of domestic gatherings, would focus more on communicating directly with citizens regarding his economic policies.

The head of state has asserted that any concerns about cost are a component of a Democratic “hoax” and that individuals merely need to listen to his viewpoint to alter their opinions—a strategy similarly adopted by Biden, who in the initial months of 2024 traveled to the Pennsylvania borough of Emmaus to claim credit for economic advancements following a surge in inflation during 2022.

The excursion highlights the predicament confronting Trump. He desires acknowledgment for reshaping the American economy through his substantial tariff increases and the continuation of income tax reductions, yet he persists in attributing to Biden the nationwide surge in price increases that transpired this year while he was in office. Generally, inflation is progressing at a 3% yearly pace, an increase from 2.3% in April when Trump introduced a broad array of import duties.

“We fixed inflation, and we fixed almost everything,” Trump said at Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting. He called affordability “a hoax” that was “started by the Democrats who caused the problem of pricing.”

Trump secured Pennsylvania by a slim margin last year, achieving 50.4%, surpassing Democrat Kamala Harris by approximately 120,000 votes. This victory was instrumental in a wider triumph across swing states, which facilitated his return to the presidency following his 2020 defeat.

AP VoteCast, an extensive survey of voters in the 2024 election, found that 7 in 10 Pennsylvania voters were “very concerned” about the cost of food and groceries. Roughly half expressed the same degree of worry over health care costs and the price of gasoline.

Although Trump can highlight a reduction in fuel costs, he is currently confronting rising prices for utilities and a substantial surge in insurance rates for individuals obtaining their medical coverage via the Affordable Care Act.

Pennsylvanians who buy their own health insurance coverage are likely to see their costs increase on average by 21.5% because of the expiration of tax credits tied to the Affordable Care Act, the state said in October.

Pennsylvania hasn't yet experienced the surge that Trump had predicted would immediately occur upon his return to the presidency.

The state has mostly maintained its job expansion from The Biden administration during the Trump era, yet its jobless figure has climbed to 4% from 3.6% in the last year, as reported by The Bureau of Labor Statistics. Approximately 24,000 more individuals have indicated they are out of work.

Annual inflation in the Philadelphia area is 3.3%, roughly the same as last year.

The Philadelphia Federal Reserve's November Beige Book detailed a contracting economy, noting that employment has stagnated, warehouse personnel are experiencing reduced work hours, tariffs are contributing to rising prices, and sales of previously-owned residences are declining. In addition, the regional Fed's manufacturing assessment from the previous month indicated a downturn in factory operations.

The news outlet Axios first reported Trump’s plans to travel to Pennsylvania.