Stephen A. Smith says Trump’s financial pledges aren’t winning over Americans at NewsNation town hall

Independent political commentator Stephen A. Smith slammed President Trump over his messaging on affordability — a top issue for voters heading into the midterm elections — during a Tuesday event hosted by NewsNation, The Hill’s broadcast partner.

“Every time you see Trump, he seems to be talking to some business network or the CEOs instead of people at the kitchen table,” Smith told the outlet’s Chris Cuomo.

“That’s not how he got reelected in 2024,” the political commentator continued. “He got reelected in 2024 not just because he was able to point to the lack of attention that the Democrats were paying to issues like affordability.”

Trump largely ran on promises to bring down the cost of living during his 2024 presidential campaign, saying he would bring the price of gasoline below $2 per gallon and mortgage rates down to 2 percent.

However, the president’s approval ratings on his overall job performance and on his handling of the economy have taken a hit as costs rise amid the Iran war and his trade fight with Canada.

The president has repeatedly urged Americans to cast their votes this November as if he were “on the ballot,” even as some Republicans in battleground states seek to distance themselves from Trump’s political brand.

During the GOP’s midterm convention in Dallas in September, Trump promised to pay out $5,000 checks to every U.S. adult if the Republican Party maintained control of both chambers of Congress this fall.

The president also announced earlier this month that his administration would send $90 checks to 20 million seniors enrolled in Medicare to offset premium costs.

Smith said this type of messaging is “not washing with the American people.”

“They’re not falling for that,” he continued. “They expected him to be better, and he has not given the impression that he is better.”