Joe: Trump continues denying that affordability is a problem for Americans

[0:00] The president could say two things at once. [0:03] He could say, I'm very sorry. [0:06] I know it's very hard for Americans who are struggling with higher gas prices, [0:10] the highest grocery prices in years. [0:12] All of these things are terrible. [0:15] But we have to make a sacrifice right now. [0:17] Every American does because Iran can't have nuclear weapons. [0:22] Kind of does a shortcut, though. [0:24] And he goes straight to affordability is BS. [0:28] That's a made-up phony crisis. [0:31] Says he's not worried about how Americans are doing that are struggling with higher prices. [0:36] And he's now talking about the stock market going high. [0:40] I looked at the CBS poll this weekend, and we've seen this trend for a while, [0:44] but I see that the president's underwater with white, non-college Americans. [0:51] And I just see that number every time, and I'm just jarred by it. [0:54] But after continuing here to the president, talk down affordability and talk up the stock market, [1:00] maybe it shouldn't be such a surprise to me. [1:06] I mean, it's always a surprise when that number goes down, right? [1:08] Because that is the base. [1:11] But I don't know with him if it's the way the question is coming to him, [1:15] that he can't say what you just suggested, which is to acknowledge both things are true. [1:21] This is tough what everybody's going through, but also we're trying to accomplish something [1:24] in Iran that's important to explain what it is. [1:26] But it is. [1:26] But I think it's the knee-jerk reaction to being criticized or being told that something's not [1:31] working that he can't handle. [1:34] And as much as his base has hung in there with him, I think that they have believed that he [1:39] understands what their life is like. [1:40] And they have believed that he is ultimately on their side. [1:43] And even at times where the economy hasn't done well, they hung in there with him. [1:47] But I think the repeated dismissal of how they are feeling and what's actually happening [1:53] in their lives economically is catching up. [1:58] Yeah. [1:59] You know, John Elmere, I just think it's—this is just a tick in Donald Trump. [2:03] He can't say, yes, things are not going as well as we would like them to go. [2:08] No, inflation is high, prices are high, and that is terrible, and we're going to work [2:15] on that. [2:16] But we can't have, as he says, crazy people having a nuclear weapon. [2:20] You certainly could see other presidents framing it in a way that more Americans might [2:25] go along with him. [2:27] But the problem here is there's no end in sight to this war. [2:32] We talked about strikes. [2:33] Qatar is having real economic problems. [2:39] You have the UAE getting attacked. [2:42] Again, fortunately, no radiation leak in that attack. [2:47] But you have a war that continues to drag on and on, and all signs point higher oil prices [2:55] and higher gas prices and higher grocery prices as we get through a war that just continues [3:02] because there is no easy off-ramp for the president of the United States. [3:08] No, he's been looking for an off-ramp for a while, has not found one. [3:11] And you're right, it's pathological almost, where Trump simply cannot acknowledge anything [3:15] is less than perfect. [3:16] Everything's always got to be the biggest, best, greatest. [3:19] If he's in charge, that means things are working inherently in his mind. [3:22] And he's not able to reflect that some people out there are suffering. [3:26] Let's remember a week ago, he flat out said, I'm paraphrasing only slightly, that he didn't [3:31] care about Americans' personal finances because of the war in Iran. [3:35] He was asked about that in that interview. [3:37] He said it was a perfect statement. [3:38] He would say it again. [3:39] So, Congressman, there are obviously a lot of people who would disagree with that. [3:44] We see poll after poll suggests that Americans, even Republicans, unhappy with how the president [3:50] has handled this economy. [3:51] They think his priorities are misplaced. [3:54] That has to be something in your district as well. [3:57] Oh, absolutely. [3:58] Affordability needs to be absolutely front and center. [4:00] And it's certainly true in my district. [4:02] It's especially true in California, where we have the highest cost of living in the country, [4:06] highest gas prices, highest electricity prices. [4:08] We're in the top three when it comes to groceries and water and housing. [4:13] And so it is placing an enormous strain on folks in my state and all across the country. [4:17] And I understand the idea that you don't want the Iranians to think, well, if you just [4:22] inflict enough pain on American consumers, then, you know, we'll let you have a nuclear [4:27] weapon. [4:28] But at the same time, we need, as policymakers, need to be cognizant of the impact on the cost [4:34] of living for every single decision we make. [4:36] And Americans are telling us that this is the most important issue right now. [4:39] You know, David Ignatius, the problem for the president, the problem for working Americans [4:45] is there's no wind inside. [4:47] I mean, Donald Trump, more threats over the weekend. [4:49] The Iranians continue to mock those threats. [4:52] Again, our regional allies getting hit. [4:54] There doesn't seem to be any easy off ramp. [4:58] I know we've talked about that for weeks now, but there is no wind inside, is there? [5:03] So, Joe, the president has not found a way to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, and that's [5:11] a big problem, and it's getting worse week by week. [5:14] It's been around now for months, so I think it tends to recede in our minds. [5:19] But in terms of a real drag on the global economy, it's only getting worse. [5:25] And the president's choices are bad in either direction. [5:30] If he goes back to full-scale war, starts bombing targets all over Iran, takes Karg Island, [5:36] you know, go down the list of things that he could do, he takes the U.S. deeper into [5:40] a war that the American people seem to feel is another Middle East quagmire. [5:45] It's not a good option. [5:47] If he exceeds to Iranian demands for control over the Straits, for charging tolls for ships [5:54] that pass through the Strait, he's obviously reinforcing the power of this hardline regime. [6:02] I hear talk that the latter, some version of reopening the Strait with an understanding [6:08] that Iran, which wants to be paid, which wants reparations, is going to take some money out, [6:14] perhaps as part of larger authorities, may be the way that things are heading. [6:20] But I think the baseline point to the larger discussion that you're having with Congressman [6:26] Kiley is if the president's going to ask the country for sacrifices that hurt our standard [6:33] of living, and that's going to happen this summer inevitably because of the energy situation, [6:39] he has to explain it to the country and to the people. [6:43] And that continues to me to be mystifying. [6:45] He simply won't make the case in any detail as to why these sacrifices are necessary. [6:52] He talks about how great 401ks are. [6:54] That does not speak to people who are paying more and more for gasoline. [7:00] Right. [7:00] And obviously the president is focusing now on nuclear Iran. [7:06] We can't have a nuclear Iran. [7:07] And it seems to me he can pivot off of that, David, but like you said, is not doing that. [7:14] He's just denying affordability is a real problem, says he's not concerned about Americans. [7:18] I will say, though, he faces a couple of problems because of his past criticisms and [7:23] the Republican Party's criticisms of how they thought that Iranians got the better of Barack Obama. [7:30] If Donald Trump leaves Iran and this war, after how much it's cost American taxpayers and Iran [7:37] has nukes, are more control of the straight than they did before the war, that just seems [7:43] to be a catastrophic political loss and obviously weakens America catastrophically and strengthens [7:49] all of our enemies in China and in Russia.