White House scrambles to address voters' affordability concerns as Trump dismisses it

NPR | By Tamara Keith

Published November 13, 2025 at 4:51 AM EST

When Democrats swept last week's elections, affordability emerged as a key issue for voters. President Trump dismissed those concerns, but his administration is taking the political risk seriously.

Tamara Keith

Tamara Keith is a Senior Political Correspondent for NPR and co-hosts the NPR Politics Podcast.

See stories by Tamara Keith

Support nonprofit, fact-based public service journalism

WEKU depends on support from those who view and listen to our content. There's no paywall here. Please support WEKU with your donation.

Contribute now

Related Content

NPR News

Former UN Deputy Secretary General on the role of the UN in today's biggest conflicts

Michel Martin

NPR's Michel Martin speaks with former United Nations Deputy Secretary General Mark Malloch-Brown about the relevance of the U.N.
The Commonwealth

Kentucky groups apply to get new scholarship tax credit. Who will benefit?

Sylvia Goodman

Most of the eight organizations seeking to get tax-credited donations in Kentucky starting next year are designed for religious and private schools.
NPR News

The data center backlash is reshaping American politics — one community at a time

Scott Neuman

With striking speed, the widespread debate around data centers has become a fault line in American communities, cutting across political parties and forging unexpected alliances.
NPR News

Many GOP candidates still echo Trump's 2020 claims. Lots of voters want to move on

Sam Gringlas

While many Republican candidates, even in some critical tossup races, still back President Trump's baseless claims about election integrity, some GOP voters say they are ready to move on.
NPR News

German chancellor stands his ground after his party loses in state elections

Esme Nicholson

German Chancellor Freidrich Merz conceded that the night spells "disaster" for the political center, but assured the public he'd push ahead with his federal agenda of tax and welfare reforms.