President Donald Trump gave his economic record an “A-plus-plus-plus-plus-plus” grade in a recent POLITICO interview, drawing sharp criticism from Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, who says the assessment ignores persistent affordability pressures for residents. Trump is expected to emphasize affordability at a rally in Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania, on Tuesday evening.
In a recent interview with POLITICO, President Donald Trump rated his handling of the economy as an “A-plus-plus-plus-plus-plus,” even as polls show voters remain concerned about prices and the overall cost of living. POLITICO reports that Trump argued he inherited severe economic problems from President Joe Biden and insisted that conditions have improved under his administration, particularly on inflation and interest rates.
Trump has repeatedly argued that energy prices have eased under his watch and that lower energy costs help bring down other prices, according to coverage of the interview and subsequent remarks by several outlets.
His upbeat assessment provoked a swift response from Pennsylvania’s Democratic governor, Josh Shapiro. In comments reported by POLITICO and Pennsylvania political outlets, Shapiro said Trump’s self-evaluation “does not reflect the reality on the ground” for Pennsylvanians who are still struggling with higher costs. Shapiro has tied those pressures in part to Trump’s tariff policies, which he says have contributed to rising grocery bills and a higher cost of living in the state.
Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker also criticized Trump’s remarks, quipping on social media that the president’s grading scale seemed to overlook everyday expenses such as rent, groceries and health care, according to POLITICO’s account.
Trump is scheduled to hold a rally Tuesday in Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania, at the Mount Airy Casino Resort, where he is expected to talk about the economy and “affordability,” NPR reports. The event is part of a broader push by the White House to highlight the administration’s efforts to tackle voters’ concerns about day-to-day costs ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
Recent polling cited by POLITICO shows that many voters still feel economic strain, with the latest Consumer Price Index indicating that prices are running about 3 percent higher than a year earlier. That pace is lower than the peaks reached earlier in the decade but remains above the Federal Reserve’s 2 percent target, leaving many households feeling squeezed.
The administration has pointed to steps such as easing some tariff-related pressures and pursuing measures aimed at reducing prescription drug costs as part of its case that it is working to cool inflation. At the same time, Trump continues to defend his broader tariff agenda as beneficial to the United States, arguing that it has brought in substantial revenue and strengthened America’s position in trade negotiations, according to POLITICO’s summary of the interview.
Republican allies have rallied to Trump’s side. POLITICO reports that conservative media figure Steve Bannon praised Trump as the best messenger for his own economic agenda. Pennsylvania Senator Dave McCormick, a Republican, has acknowledged that voters are still feeling the effects of past economic shocks but credited recent gains under Trump’s second term. GOP gubernatorial candidate Stacy Garrity, a Trump supporter in Pennsylvania, has likewise echoed the president’s focus on growth and jobs while steering clear of grading his performance as lavishly as he did.
As Trump heads to Mount Pocono, the clash over his “A-plus-plus-plus-plus-plus” grade underscores a central debate heading into 2026: whether Americans feel the benefits of the economic picture Trump describes, or the strain highlighted by his Democratic critics.
