CNN host Jake Tapper on Tuesday said things are not going well for President Donald Trump, whose policies are causing Americans to struggle, and argued he is not only failing to read the room but actively acknowledging his indifference “out loud.”
“Things are also not going so smoothly for President Trump here at home in the U.S., not just because of the high gas prices caused by the Iran war, which will cost you an average of $4.50 per gallon today,” Tapper explained on “The Lead.” “For the first time in three years, Americans’ wages are no longer outpacing inflation.”
Tapper was citing a new report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and then noted a CNN/SSRS poll conducted April 30 to May 4 showed 76% of the respondents said the current cost of living is their top economic problem. He also noted that 77% said Trump himself increased that cost with his policies, and 75% said the Iran war has negatively impacted their finances. Trump’s war led Iran to close the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world’s oil passes.
“So while hardworking Americans are struggling to afford basic necessities and blaming the Iran war for at least some of that, surely the president is reading the room and focused on doing something about it, right?” Tapper said before playing a staggering clip.
The footage showed a reporter asking Trump to what extent Americans’ financial situations are motivating him to strike a deal with Iran to end the unpopular war. Trump — who largely ran in 2024 on improving the economy — replied, “Not even a little bit.”
“The only thing that matters when I’m talking about Iran, they can’t have a nuclear weapon,” he continued. “I don’t think about Americans’ financial situation. I don’t think about anybody.”
The response left Democratic lawmakers and pundits in varying levels of shock.
“So that’s the president saying out loud he does not think about Americans’ financial situations, handing Democrats ready-made attack ads for midterms, when he is talking about making a deal with Iran,” Tapper said. “And if you think perhaps he’s said something more nuanced or empathetic online, we look at his Truth Social page where, well, it looks like there was a rapid-fire posting spree — more than 60 posts and reposts after 10:30 p.m. last night.”
Tapper noted the MAGA leader resumed his social media spree the following morning, and that all of his posts concerned “bogus conspiracy theories,” crass memes and “a whole lot of nonsense,” including an AI-generated image of Gov. JB Pritzker (D-Ill.) eating food. The CNN host added that Trump also baselessly surfaced claims “for the 4,000th time” that the 2020 election was stolen and said “none of Trump’s content” had anything to do with the biggest concern of everyday Americans — their cost of living in Trump’s America.
