On a recent episode of MS NOW, Eugene Daniels pulled out a vintage clip of former President Jimmy Carter to draw a stark comparison to President Donald Trump. The conversation was sparked as Rep. Madeleine Dean (D-PA) came on to talk about pressing economic issues, particularly with the Affordable Care Act subsidies running out due to Congress’s failure to extend them.
Daniels remarked, “Your president has just spent the week portraying affordability as nothing but a hoax. And guess what? That message isn’t hitting home with the American public at all.” This was before he brought Dean into the discussion.
Daniels referred to a recent poll by the Associated Press, showing only 31% of people approve of Trump’s economic handling, while a whopping 67% disapprove.
In response to negative polling, Trump has been pushing back, labeling the surveys regarding economic discontent as “fake.” This week on Truth Social, he voiced his frustration over not receiving enough acknowledgment for supposedly fixing the “mess” left by former President Joe Biden.
He tweeted, “When will I get credit for having created, with No Inflation, perhaps the Greatest Economy in the History of our Country? When will people understand what is happening? When will Polls reflect the Greatness of America at this time, and how bad things were just a year ago?” to which Daniels quipped, “Maybe when the economy actually gets better. That might be when it happens. Come on!”
During the segment, Daniel also showcased a clip of Trump discussing the economy and energy prices from his White House, where Trump argued, “I inherited, very simply, the highest prices in history, and I’m bringing them down fast, starting with energy.” He further stated, “When energy drops, everything else follows, but I’ve only been in the job for a short time, and they’ve messed it all up.”
Introducing Dean to the discussion, Daniels also shared a snippet of Carter and likened Trump’s messaging to that of the president he consistently ranks as his least favorite.
Referring to a February 1977 speech, he mentioned a time when Carter pleaded with Americans to conserve energy:
“All of us must learn to waste less energy. If we simply keep our thermostats at 65 degrees during the day and 55 degrees at night, we could halve the current natural gas shortage. There’s no way I or anyone else in government can solve our energy problems without your cooperation.”
Daniels went on to say, “Telling folks they need to take action to tackle their problems has its limits. We’ve seen this approach from many previous presidents. Trump’s twist, however, is branding it as a hoax, which is a significant divergence.”
Dean echoed the sentiment by recounting how her family turned their fireplace into a wood stove during Carter’s presidency to cut energy costs. She added, “Here in my district and across Pennsylvania, this tone regarding Trump’s economics isn’t resonating well. We’re seeing electricity prices rising by 15%, which alongside grocery costs and an ongoing healthcare crisis means many families can’t afford basics.”
Catch the full conversation on MS NOW.
