Trump scoffs at 'affordability' as he touts economic policies at Georgia rally
At a campaign rally in Marietta, Georgia, President Donald Trump dismissed the word 'affordability' as a Democratic talking point while promoting his economic record and the new 'Trump accounts' for children.
Donald Trump on Wednesday mocked the term 'affordability' during a campaign rally at Wheeler High School in Marietta, a suburb of Atlanta, calling it a phrase concocted by Democratic political consultants to criticize his presidency. Despite his dismissal, the president devoted much of his speech to highlighting the benefits of his economic policies, claiming that prices are coming down rapidly and blaming the current high prices on the Biden administration's lingering effects.
According to a recent Washington Post-Ipsos poll, only 33% of voters approve of Trump's handling of the economy, a figure that could hurt his party's chances in the November midterm elections. Georgia is a politically divided state with key races for governor and Senate.
Trump was in Georgia to promote the newly established 'Trump accounts' – tax-free investment funds seeded with $1,000 from the federal government for every child born through 2028. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, speaking before the president, described the accounts as 'the triumph of capitalism over socialism,' taking a swipe at New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
Several Republican candidates joined Trump. He likened U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff, a Democrat seeking re-election, to the character Pee-wee Herman. Polls show Ossoff leading Republican nominee Mike Collins. Rick Jackson, the Republican candidate for Georgia governor, pledged to ask the state legislature to match the $1,000 federal contribution; if they fail, he would personally fund it. Jackson, founder of Jackson Healthcare, has an estimated net worth of over $3 billion.
The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget estimates the accounts will cost the government $17 billion through 2028. Georgia recorded over 126,000 live births in 2024, equating to $126 million in annual contributions. The state began fiscal 2026 with a budget cushion of about $15 billion, including $9 billion in unrestricted funds, resulting from conservative budgeting since 2021.
Trump noted that inflation is currently around 3%, with core inflation flat for the first time in five years. However, gasoline prices have risen above $4 a gallon in the U.S. due to climbing oil prices after renewed hostilities with Iran. Trump said he had just come from Dover Air Force Base where he attended a dignified transfer ceremony for service members killed in the Iran conflict.
He continued to claim that his policies have drawn pledges of $19.2 trillion into the U.S. economy, a figure disputed by economists from the libertarian Cato Institute and others as inflated by illusory investment promises.
