U.S. President Donald Trump speaks with reporters, as he departs for travel to Pennsylvania from the South Lawn at the White House in Washington, D.C. U.S., July 15, 2025. REUTERS_Jonathan Ernst

Economic bad news keep piling up for President Donald Trump, and in response he is making an increasingly rare public uncommon public appearance in a key swing state to convince voters he is focused on affordability, in a move the Daily Beast summed up as "panicked."

News of Trump's travel plans emerged in a report from Axios on Thursday. According to the outlet, the president will make an appearance in Pennsylvania, one of the most important election swing states, to make a pitch about his economic agenda. This comes as poll after poll finds that Americans are feeling worse about the economy under Trump, and as affordability promises are propelling Democrats to big election wins.

That won't be the end of this new affordability push, as Trump is expected to make several more appearances in the months to come, including more throughout December, and then on into 2026 as the all-important midterm elections near. With voters sour on Trump's performance, Republicans and pundits have begun to predict major losses for the GOP next year, including their already-narrow house majority, and possibly even the Senate.

"With Republicans in danger of losing control of the House next November, Trump needs to be a lift — not a drag — in tough districts if the GOP is to defy powerful historic trends and keep its majority," Axios reported. "White House aides see Trump as the Republican Party's best salesman — and its best chance to reverse falling poll numbers for both the president and his party. Trump is expected to use Tuesday's event to highlight what he's done to help the economy during his second term in office."

On Thursday, Trump's trouble with affordability were crystallized again with a new poll from Politico, in which nearly half of respondents, 46 percent said the cost of living was currently worse than they could ever remember it being, including over a third, 37 percent, of Trump supporters surveyed.

"Americans also say that the affordability crisis is Trump’s responsibility, with 46 percent saying it is his economy now and his administration is responsible for the costs they struggle with," Politico's piece explained.

The Axios report added that Trump is expected to "aggressively push back against criticism over the cost of everyday essentials," an approach he has already undertaken to some degree, decrying affordability concerns as a "scam" perpetuated by Democrats to distract from his accomplishments. Pundits have been wary of this approach, warning that comments disagreeing with voter sentiment about the economy helped sink Joe Biden's approval ratings, and the electoral prospects of his successor, Kamala Harris.