California Sen. Adam Schiff acknowledged on ABC News that his Democratic Party lost the 2024 election because they failed to stay “laser focused” on the high cost of living while critiquing President Donald Trump’s economic policies.
During former President Joe Biden’s tenure, inflation peaked at 9 percent in June 2022—a dramatic rise from the 1.4 percent when he took office. Despite this economic crisis, both Biden and the Democrats consistently downplayed the situation, with the then-former president repeatedly touting his economic achievements even as Americans grappled with soaring living costs.
On ABC’s “This Week,” co-host Jonathan Karl pressed Schiff about a Democrat being removed from the House Chamber Tuesday after attempting to interrupt Trump’s speech. Citing an X post by Pennsylvania Democratic Sen. John Fetterman, who criticized the disruption as more damaging to the party, Karl asked if Fetterman had “a point.”
“Well, I think the lack of a coordinated response to the State of the Union was a mistake,” Schiff said. “Frankly, it took the focus off of where it should have been, which is on the fact that the president spoke for an hour and 40 minutes and had nothing to say about what he would do to bring down costs.”
Schiff went on to state how Trump’s speech did not offer Americans help to “afford a new home, pay the rent or afford health care or child care,” adding how Democrats need to keep their “focus” on the economy — despite the fact that they refused to campaign heavily on the issue ahead of the November elections.
“They’re destroying the economy, and they’re making it harder and harder for Americans to afford things. That’s where we need to keep the focus,” Schiff claimed about Trump and his Republican Party, without evidence. “That’s why we lost the last election, because we weren’t laser-focused on the high cost of living, and what they’re doing now is just making it so much worse in the administration, and that’s really what we need to emphasize.”
Karl did not press Schiff to expound upon what Trump and Republicans were doing to make things “worse.”
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President Trump has seen a surge in popularity following his sweeping new tariffs that recently rocked global markets.
According to an exclusive DailyMail.com/J.L. Partners survey, Trump remains widely favored in the U.S.
The poll revealed that Trump’s approval rating climbed to 53 percent—a 4-point jump from last week’s 49 percent.
Trump’s rising approval rating comes as a surprise amid the significant criticism the White House received over the tariff order signed Wednesday.
Among voters aged 18 to 29, his approval has surged by 13 points since March 7. Additionally, Trump experienced a six-point boost in favorability among Democrats and independents, according to the survey, DailyMail.com reported.
Notably, his support among black voters soared by 17 points since last week. Furthermore, when it comes to his universal 10 percent tariff on all imported goods, more Americans support the policy than oppose it.
The poll revealed that 36 percent of respondents support Trump’s 10 percent minimum tariff, while only 28 percent oppose it, with the remaining 36 percent undecided.
And when asked about increasing tariffs on all imported goods, 39 percent of registered voters were in favor, compared to 37 percent against, and 24 percent remained unsure.
Support for broad tariffs targeting China and the European Union has also risen since last month.
Additionally, voters expressed general backing for tariffs on specific sectors, including aircraft, plastics, precious metals, iron, and steel.
Meanwhile, nations are stepping up and responding to the tariffs by offering to lower or eliminate theirs on U.S. imports.
Nearly 100 days into his presidency, American employers and job board leaders have given Trump a very favorable report card, saying they believe the economy “can win now,” even though, as they note, it hasn’t “started to win yet.”
“I would give President Trump, right now, a pretty solid B+,” FIG Strategy & Consulting founder, author and Freedom Economy Index (FEI) respondent TaChelle Lawson told Fox News Digital.
“He came in with a very clear plan, and that was focusing on economics. He’s definitely putting business first, trimming the fat. That’s something that small business owners, business operators understand and respect. I think that it’s clear that his focus is on American business,” she added. “I do, however, think that the messaging could use a little bit of work.”
Lawson is one of over 50,000 small business owners who took part in the latest quarterly survey by RedBalloon and PublicSquare.
The survey revealed that more than two-thirds of respondents now expect the economy to experience either “slow” or “robust” growth throughout the year—a complete turnaround from the previously negative outlook, Fox Business reported.