The president also said, “If you get rid of the filibuster, you’re not going to have a shutdown.”

MOUNT POCONO, PENNSYLVANIA -President Donald Trump delivers remarks during an event at Mount Airy Casino Resort on December 9, 2025 in Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania. Trump discussed his administration’s economic agenda and its efforts to lower the cost of living. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images) | Getty Images

By  SOPHIA CAI12/27/2025 06:00 AM EST

President Donald Trump says he believes the 2026 midterm elections will center on “pricing” as Republicans head into a critical period with control of Congress on the line.

And he told POLITICO Friday night that he is confident Americans will be receptive to his economic message: that his administration is cleaning up the mess he inherited from former President Joe Biden.

“I think it’s going to be about the success of our country. It’ll be about pricing,” Trump said in an exclusive interview. “Because, you know, they gave us high pricing, and we’re bringing it down. Energy’s way down. Gasoline is way down.”

Trump’s comments follow a string of favorable economic reports over the last two weeks showing inflation is cooling and the economy is hotter than expected. The White House is keen to tout the latest data as it confronts cost-of-living concerns that have underpinned a string of Democratic overperformances across the country.

Still, polls show Americans are struggling. Nearly half of respondents said they find groceries, utility bills, health care, housing and transportation difficult to afford, according to The POLITICO Poll conducted last month by Public First.

Trump’s acknowledgment that 2026 will focus on “pricing” underscores the administration’s concern that the Democrats have, for the moment, a popular message. After insisting that affordability was a Democratic “con job”, Trump over the last few weeks has repeatedly sought to reframe the issue, arguing that it was the Democrats under Biden who caused prices to increase and that he is bringing them down.

“Electricity is down. It’s way down,” Trump said, even as utility rates are largely set by state regulators and private companies. “You know, when the gasoline goes down and when the oil and oil and gas go down, the electricity comes down naturally. But it’s all coming down. It’s all coming down. It’s coming beautifully.”

Helping his broader case was a surprisingly good GDP number released Wednesday, giving the president more good news to talk about. 

“You saw the 4.3 percent?” Trump asked, referring to a new government report this week that the economy grew at an annualized rate of 4.3 percent in the third quarter. “The Democrats were exploding. Their heads were exploding.”

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Inflation also cooled to an annual rate of 2.7 percent in November, the smallest year-over-year increase since July, according to the Labor Department’s latest consumer price index report.

But one of the looming economic headwinds Trump faces is a possible government shutdown at the end of January. 

The president on Friday again urged Senate Republicans to scrap the filibuster, arguing it has become an obstacle to governing. 

“The filibuster is hurting the Republican Party,” Trump said, calling on GOP lawmakers to eliminate it “without question.”

“If you get rid of the filibuster, you’re not going to have a shutdown,” he added. “You can do everything. You can do great health care if you get rid of the filibuster. We can do everything we want.”

Trump argued that ending the filibuster would also pave the way for other GOP priorities, including voter ID legislation. But his push puts him at odds with some Senate Republicans, including Majority Leader John Thune, who have defended the filibuster as an institutional safeguard.