Trump raves about cost of living, immigration and ‘sh*thole countries’ in campaign-style address

US President Donald Trump has come out swinging in a campaign-style speech at a casino, where he insisted that prices across were dropping “tremendously” for Americans.

US President Donald Trump has come out swinging in a campaign-style speech at a casino, where he insisted that prices across the US were dropping “tremendously,” amongst other Republican talking points.

Speaking in the working-class state of Pennsylvania, Trump brought his economic pitch back to the road for the first time in months, a decision that comes as his approval ratings slip ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

The 79-year-old blended his economic arguments with a familiar mix of topics from last year’s campaign trail, revisiting hardline positions on migration and crude criticisms of what he called “sh*thole” countries.

Although Trump has repeatedly dismissed Democratic concerns about general affordability as a “hoax,” he has also begun to acknowledge that the issue is resonating with voters and placing Republicans on the defensive heading into the midterms.

His strategy now is to redirect blame, arguing that inflation stems from the policies of his Democratic predecessor, Joe Biden, and portraying himself as the only leader capable of reversing it.

It’s a tired old tactic used since the dawn of politics, but judging by the turnout, the Republican had once again struck a chord.

“I can’t say affordability ‘hoax’, because I agree the prices were too high,” Trump told attendees gathered at the rural casino in Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania.

“But they use the word affordability, and that’s their only word. They say affordability and everyone says, ‘oh, that must mean Trump has high prices.’ No, our prices are coming down tremendously from the highest prices in the history of our country.”

Trump asserted that costs were falling for gas and staple goods such as beef, eggs and coffee. Those claims run counter to recent national data that showed US inflation rising in September to 2.8 per cent year-over-year.

Speaking in the working-class state of Pennsylvania, Trump brought his economic pitch back to the road for the first time in months, a decision that comes as his approval ratings slip ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. Picture: Alex Wong/Getty Images/AFP

But the nitty-gritty has never stopped Trump from dishing out his brand of bold, populist rhetoric that has sealed him a seat in the White House twice.

Many supporters who braved the freezing temperatures to attend said they were concerned about the cost of living. However, many still trust Trump to address it.

“You know he can’t fix all that in under a year,” 26-year-old Brianna Shay told AFP.

Trump’s speech eventually drifted toward heated commentary on immigration, where he again criticised Somali immigrants, including Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar.

He described Somalia itself as “filthy, dirty, disgusting”.

Trump’s escalated rhetoric comes as Minnesota faces a widening scandal in which prosecutors allege more than $1 billion in fraudulent social-service claims were put through the system.

Much of that scandal involves Somali Americans.

In the same breath, Trump talked up his decision to halt migration from several nations, including Afghanistan, Haiti, and Somalia.

There was a bit of pushback from the crowd, but Trump was quick to pounce on it.

“I didn’t say sh*thole, you did,” Trump quipped to an audience member, referencing the earlier controversy during his first term when he used the term while discussing limits on migration from certain countries.

The renewed emphasis on immigration appeared to offer Trump a more familiar terrain as public frustration intensifies over economic pressures, which many Americans blame partly on his broad tariffs.

The renewed emphasis on immigration appeared to offer Trump a more familiar terrain as public frustration intensifies over economic pressures, which many Americans blame partly on his broad tariffs. Picture: AFP

How are Trump’s approval ratings?

Trump is fighting an uphill battle as the US faces generational pressure economically. Many will say his tariff

Earlier Tuesday, Trump gave the economy an “A-plus-plus-plus-plus-plus” grade in an interview with Politico.

But despite his optimistic assessment, his approval ratings have sunk to their lowest level since returning to office in January.

Democrats running on affordability concerns have swept recent high-profile races, winning the New York City mayoralty and governor’s races in New Jersey and Virginia.

The results have left Republicans increasingly uneasy ahead of next year’s midterms, which will decide control of Congress.

Incumbent presidents often face losses during midterm elections, but Trump’s chief of staff, Susie Wiles, said Monday she intended to “put him on the ballot” to energise core supporters who might otherwise stay home.

At the same time, Trump is encountering growing frustration within the “Make America Great Again” movement.

Once a loyal supporter turned fierce critic of US President Donald Trump, Marjorie Taylor Greene, announced her resignation last month after claiming Trump’s policies were anti-American

President Trump hailed the Representative of Georgia’s surprising resignation as “great news” for America.

Ms Greene announced she would not run for re-election in a 10-minute video, saying she didn’t want her congressional district “to have to endure a hurtful and hateful primary against me by the president we all fought for”.

“I refuse to be a battered wife hoping it all goes away and gets better,” she said.

She also hit out about the Jeffrey Epstein scandal.

“Standing up for American women who were raped at 14, trafficked and used by rich, powerful men, should not result in me being called a traitor and threatened by the President of the United States, whom I fought for,” Ms Greene said in her resignation video.

Mr Trump was not aware of her plans to leave politics before she made the announcement on social media.

Originally published as Trump raves about cost of living, immigration and ‘sh*thole countries’ in campaign-style address