President Donald Trump has publicly continued to insist that affordability issues are just a fake problem ginned up by Democrats, calling it a "con job," even as he prepares a tour around the country to defend his economic policies. But Americans are saying otherwise, CNN data analyst Harry Enten told anchor Sara Sidner on Thursday.

"Ultimately, it's the American public who is going to decide if this is a major issue," said Sidner. "What are you learning from some of the numbers you've been looking at as to how people really feel about this?"

"Look, you can bloviate as much as you want in Washington, D.C., but at the end of the day, it's the American people who make the ultimate decision at the ballot box, like they did last month in Virginia, in New Jersey," said Enten. "And this is what it's all about, baby. Google searches for affordability, up 110 percent versus a year ago. More folks search for affordability in the last month than at any point since the Great Recession. All the way back in 2009. This is no con job. This is the American people going online searching for affordability. It's the American people going to the ballot box, voting on affordability. They think it is an important issue to touch on. Donald Trump might want to make the argument it's a con job, but the American people don't think so."

"When it comes to things like high prices — I mean, what is the top issue that Americans say they are facing, bar none?" asked Sidner.

"Yeah, you named it," said Enten. "I mean, ta da! It's the cost of living, most important to you right now, 36 percent. What's right behind it? The economy, 20 percent. And then I combined here. Health care or Medicare and Social Security, right down there, number three, 17 percent. What do these all have in common? It's do-re-mi. It's all about the economy, spending. Cost of living, entitlement. All about being able to afford things. That's what we're talking about."

"This is the name of the game," he added. "It was the name of the game last month. And it is very likely to be the name of the game come 11 months from now and the election. And it's not the Democrats making it up. It's the American people that the Democrats are following. And if Donald Trump and the Republicans don't start following the American people, well, you get results like you did last month in Virginia and New Jersey. And that is Republicans losing by double digits in races that they thought would be considerably closer, especially in New Jersey."

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