“Affordability” is the word going into the 2026 midterm elections—and a GOP win is incumbent on Trump’s ability to communicate the truth on the economy.
Victor Davis Hanson says that, despite recent economic wins such as falling inflation rates and tax cuts, the public perception of economic pain persists because Democrats have successfully shifted blame onto President Donald Trump from the real culprit—former President Joe Biden. How did this happen? And can the Trump administration fix this perception in less than a year? Hanson breaks it down on today’s episode of “Victor Davis Hanson: In a Few Words.”
(0:00) Introduction(0:21) Key Issues in the 2026 Midterms(1:45) Trump’s Economic Wins(3:32) Democrat Misconceptions(4:55) Foreign Policy Focus(6:42) Conclusion
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38 Comments
You are right, you can't tax, spend and regulate and lie your way to prosperity. Nor print money and have the government spend its way to prosperity. But VDH is only tell half the story and he knows it. Look at what the national debt did under Trump's first term and so far this term. It's more of the same. Also, you can't ignore the chaos and friction that Trump's tariffs added to the economy. Government can either get out of the way and reduce friction on the economy, or I can pump the brakes. Tariffs certainly pump the brakes.
.. we need a VDHN channel on cable. Thank you, Professor 🫡🇺🇸
When will they learn….you must focus on the economy (what citizens care about) the first 2 years so you can win midterms. Then you can go international years 3-4. Every hour Trump spends international, could have been spent domestically, where midterms would have been a cakewalk. 😊
Dubious statement at best. I have not seen anything coherent from this administration about the economy. Regardless, I doubt stealing oil tankers from Venezuela is going to change the US economy.
The government is still too big. As long as it controls housing, Healthcare, money. It will stay expensive.
The central bankers and the war hawks want to destroy President Trump. The UK and EU are hellbent on destroying our progress! They are a world threat!
MAGA wants more DOMESTIC ATTENTION. People still can't get good jobs, and if they do, they still can't afford housing, can't even DREAM of buying a home on a average salary AND THEIR JOBS ARE BEING REPLACED BY AI AND A H1B INDIAN SLAVE LABOR CASTE SYSTEM…WHY? In such a HUGE nation we have so much empty land and resources it's crazy we don't give away acres for people willing to develop the land and build new things. Another important example: We DO NOT have our 2nd A rights GUARANTEED IN ALL STATES. We have the 2nd Amendment of our Constitution FOR A REASON! It is 2nd in importance to Free expression because it is required to defend the 1st, is systematically ignored and keeping/bearing arms is illegal in many Left-wing states. If they can do that, they can take away any of your rights. The Democrats just ignore the Supreme court and the court allows them to get away with it. They pick and choose which laws they want to follow such as immigration laws and racial discrimination laws. It is unacceptable. Why don't we fix that FIRST? If we don't have rule of law we have nothing.
The problem is, job growth has slowed down, and salary hasn’t caught back up, while interest rates are still high. That’s the pain point people are feeling, and can be easily used by democrats to manipulate voter sentiment. These days voters don’t have the patience for the economy to rise again. They want everything right away
On this issue Democrats are like someone who stops up your toilet and then asks why your house stinks
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We’re at the mercy of the lying media and the naive public.
Victor, Trump said during his campaigning, prices would come down immediately (fast), which most people with half a brain know cannot happen that fast if at all; inflation is cumulative. Now the democrats are using that against him, and that was part of the Biden Administration throwing billions of dollars away in their last days. Prices are high, and Trump didn't do it, but I don't see them retreating anytime soon. Trump set the expectation too high for the useful low-information voters, but it's not helping him now. He needs to publicly retract the FAST statements now, and hopefully, some will forgive him.
Inflation is quick to go up and slow to go down.
Spot on!😊
Excellent
After ten years of constant graft exposed and protection and election rigging by judicial abuse you'd be an utter fool to vote Democrat.
“Nuke-u-lar” is NOT a word.
Yes great observations. Thanks for posting
No h1b
This guy is talking like Trump is some what normal thinking HUMAN BEING, It is mind-buggling
Economy was getting better and better Trump took office with tariff and DOJ and this ICE rates brought down the Economy, Economy is not going to get better becaouse the tariff will have a long term effects
Just the fact that Davis has to go on here and try to defend Trump's economy tells you something.
Today, Christmas Day, a gallon of gas by my home is $2.61 a gallon..
Inflation became affordability the same way gun control became gun safety. Liberals created a new word to avoid the consequences of their own actions.
This man is really good!
A party that will let the illegals come in and take our money to support them and leave us on the streets should say it all. Why can't we understand it it's all lies can't we see that Trump is trying to help America look at what the guy is doing day after day that guy does not stop. A party that allows the criminals to steal up to $1,000. Can't we see that. A party that has their attorney generals letting criminals out on serious charges. A party that has judges that will let criminals out a back door. If conservatives and Republicans do not vote for the Republican party coming up here in the midterms I don't know what's wrong with you. People you got to see that the Republican party is the lesser of the two evils.
The fact the Rogan has a larger base than Hanson is a major indicator of the true intentions and intellectual capabilities of your ( our ) peer group. The majority only cares because the tide is lapping at thier ankles now. Up until 2020 the overwhelming majority of Democrats and Republicans were willing to turn a blind eye to the implosion. Meanwhile the individuals and groups that have fallen under the blanket of foreign subversion struggle to recover their destroyed lives. The mob has betrayed America and is buisy looking for the next big excuse. Civil war is inevitable and the groups that are revealing in the strife will find themselves just as confused about thier convictions as Tucker was after Charlie got shot. All you people think this is a thread to be liked, disliked or commented on, without fear of any real world consequences outside of a digital interface because the rules of modern society keep you safe from the consequences of interactions. Not long ago Tucker was telling us all that he had millions of 7.62 hoarded to defend the traditional American way of life, after Kirk got shot, he goes on Shawn Ryans show and starts swanning about how the " The spoken word matters most" 😂
Americans shit the bed and now wanna blame the upper class for their own complacency in the policies they voted in. Civil war can't come soon enough.
The Left want's to destroy the economy and the country so they can convince people to try their plan.
The Fundamental Transformation of America. B.H. Obama.
Too many insist on Instant gratification.
Over the past year, my electric bill has gone down. The price of gas is down. The price of food is down. I'm spending less each month and actually putting a little into savings. People can make anything bad, it takes an effort to make things good.
Merry Christmas. I’m mostly on social media to troll the Left. I’m a Jimmy Carter Democrat and I switched sides after Obama.
I usually just troll (not you) but I heard this and must tell you, you couldn’t be more wrong.
For all the talk and effort, all needed and appreciated, Trump and the Republicans are ignoring the two elephants, one actively rampaging; 50% spike in housing under Biden and Social Security.
EVERYTHING ELSE is a rounding error compared to these two and how they affect households!
Do the math… $345,000 average home price today. Up, 50% in 4 years.
20% + Closing = $100,000 cash
Income to qualify: Over $120,000
I don’t know about you but my income didn’t go up 50% under Biden and the Down Payment Fairy seems to have skipped my street.
So effectively, the American Dream is officially dead.
Unless you have generational wealth, you’re screwed. I’m Democrat and I’m pissed.
Add to that a broken SS system that LITERALLY PENALIZES for working!!! Did you know that? I get $2,400 a month (full SS AGE) but I only get $900 because of work penalties.
So, all this talk is tone deaf until you TRULY put yourself in the position of the average working man. You are killing capitalism! Force me to work and NEVER LET ME OWN! You’re going to get 10 more Mamdani’s in the next election.
And I’m seriously thinking about supporting them.
Capitalism is HARMING all Americans making less than $65,000 a year. The American Dream right now IS DEAD. Not “going to be”, it IS DEAD RIGHT NOW TODAY.
Please cover this! We are desperate for someone to address these two areas!
We are seeing too many A I versions of VDH. This is NOT one of those videos. Pay attention to history.
The COL jumped 12% over average compensation between 21 and 24. In part because the last 5T stimulus was more then the economy needed to compensate the economic loss due to the one time exogenous supply and demand shocks of the COVID epidemic.
This pushed up the real general price level rapidly. We individuals still feel the loss and are still adjusting.
Bringing the national real income up 12% will take a very long time. It is not easy since it not occur readily or easily and is not a high priority to readjust the national economy to.
Decisions made under Biden brought it about. But decisions under Trump can't fix it. We the householders will adapt however.
Sniffy Joe Biden tried the gaslighting playbook of "the economy is great" when people knew it wasn't. Now the Donald is trying the EXACT same page of the playbook. Guess whether or not it will work for him??!!! For someone who hates sniffy Joe as much as he says, at least he could come up with his own grift.
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the irony is that red states dominate affordability metrics
Dems lie and millions of dullards believe the lies.
I would like to know what Mr Hanson thinks about private equity buying a lot of single family housing is that helping to create a housing crisis and affect affordability
I remember the economy wasn’t too bad under Bush but the media kept saying it was and I remember people saying well I’m not doing too bad but I think a lot of other people are. Republicans need to be on with their messaging always they can t take anything for granted.