Joe: Trump continues denying that affordability is a problem for Americans

9.82M subscribers

views

May 18, 2026 #Trump #Politics #Economy

Morning Joe panel discusses how President Trump is dismissing rising costs Americans are facing as ‘short-term pain’ while there appears to be no end in sight with the Iran war and opening of the Strait of Hormuz. MS NOW: My Source for News, Opinion, and the World. » Subscribe to MS NOW:

/ @msnow » Subscribe to MS NOW’s We the People Newsletter for exclusive content from your favorite MS NOW anchors. Sign up now for free at https://ms.now/joinus MS NOW is the go-to destination for domestic and international breaking news, and best-in-class opinion journalism. For more context and news coverage of the most important stories of our day click here: https://www.ms.now/ #Trump #Politics #Economy

Transcript

Follow along using the transcript.

HEY, JEN, THE PRESIDENT COULD SAY TWO THINGS AT ONCE HE COULD SAY I'M VERY SORRY.

5 seconds

I KNOW IT'S VERY HARD IT'S HARD FOR AMERICANS WHO ARE STRUGGLING WITH HIGHER GAS PRICES, THE HIGHEST GROCERY PRICES IN YEARS.

12 seconds

ALL OF THESE THINGS ARE TERRIBLE BUT WE HAVE TO MAKE A SACRIFICE RIGHT NOW, IS HOW EVERY AMERICAN DOES BECAUSE IRAN CAN'T HAVE NUCLEAR WEAPONS.

21 seconds

KIND OF DOES A SHORT-CUT THOUGH.

24 seconds

AND HE GOES STRAIGHT THAT'S A MADE-UP PHONY CRISIS.

30 seconds

SAYS HE'S NOT WORRIED ABOUT HOW AMERICANS ARE DOING THAT ARE STRUGGLING WITH HIGHER PRICES. AND HE'S NOW TALKING ABOUT THE STOCK MARKET.

39 seconds

WE HAVE SEEN THIS TREND FOR A WHILE BUT I SEE THAT THE PRESIDENT IS UNDERWATER WITH WHITE, NON-COLLEGE AMERICANS.

50 seconds

AND I JUST SEE THAT NUMBER EVERY TIME, AND I'M JUST JARRED BY IT.

55 seconds

BUT AFTER CONTINUING HERE TO THE PRESIDENT, TALK DOWN AFFORDABILITY AND TALK UP THE STOCK MARKET, MAYBE IT SHOULDN'T BE SUCH A SURPRISE TO ME.

1 minute, 6 seconds

IT'S ALSO A SURPRISE WHEN THAT NUMBER GOES DOWN, RIGHT? BECAUSE THAT IS THE BASE.

1 minute, 11 seconds

BUT I DON'T KNOW WITH HIM IF IT'S THE WAY THE QUESTION IS COMING TO HIM, THAT HE CAN, YOU KNOW, THAT HE CAN'T SAY WHAT YOU JUST SUGGESTED, WHICH IS TO ACKNOWLEDGE BOTH THINGS ARE TRUE.

1 minute, 21 seconds

THIS IS TOUGH WHAT EVERYBODY IS GOING THROUGH BUT ALSO WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH SOMETHING IN IRAN THAT'S IMPORTANT, EXPLAIN WHAT IT I THINK IT'S THE KNEE-JERK

1 minute, 28 seconds

REACTION TO BEING CRITICIZED OR BEING TOLD THAT SOMETHING IS NOT WORKING, THAT HE CAN'T HANDLE.

1 minute, 33 seconds

AND AS MUCH AS HIS BASE HAS HUNG IN THERE WITH HIM, I THINK that they have, they have believed that he understands what stands with their life is like and they have believed that he is ultimately on their side.

1 minute, 43 seconds

And even at times where the economy hasn't done well, they hung in there with them.

1 minute, 47 seconds

But I think the repeated dismissal of BIT OF HOW THEY ARE FEELING AND WHAT IS ACTUALLY HAPPENING IN THEIR LIVES ECONOMICALLY IS CATCHING UP.

1 minute, 58 seconds

YEAH, YOU KNOW, JOHN LEMIRE, I JUST THINK THIS IS JUST A TICKING DONALD TRUMP.

2 minutes, 3 seconds

HE CAN'T SAY YES, THINGS ARE NOT GOING AS WELL AS WE WOULD LIKE THEM TO GO.

2 minutes, 8 seconds

NO, INFLATION IS HIGH, PRICES ARE HIGH AND THAT IS TERRIBLE AND WE'RE GOING TO WORK ON WE CAN'T HAVE,

2 minutes, 16 seconds

AS HE SAYS, CRAZY PEOPLE HAVING A NUCLEAR WEAPON.

2 minutes, 20 seconds

YOU CERTAINLY COULD SEE OTHER PRESIDENTS FRAMING IT IN A WAY THAT MORE AMERICANS MIGHT GO ALONG WITH HIM.

2 minutes, 26 seconds

BUT THE PROBLEM HERE WE TALKED ABOUT STRIKES.

2 minutes, 33 seconds

CUTTER IS HAVING REAL ECONOMIC PROBLEMS. YOU HAVE THE U .A .E.

2 minutes, 46 seconds

IT IS A WAR THAT CONTINUES TO YOU HAVE A WAR THAT CONTINUES TO DRAG ON AND ON AND ALL ALL SIGNS POINT HIGHER OIL

2 minutes, 54 seconds

PRICES AND HIGHER GAS PRICES AND HIGHER GROCERY PRICES AS WE GET THROUGH A WAR THAT JUST CONTINUES BECAUSE THERE IS

3 minutes, 4 seconds

THERE IS NO EASY OFF-RAMP FOR THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.

3 minutes, 7 seconds

HE HAS BEEN LOOKING FOR AN OFF-RAMP FOR A WHILE AND HAS NOT FOUND ONE AND YOU'RE IT'S PATHOLOGICAL ALMOST WHERE TRUMP SIMPLY CANNOT ACKNOWLEDGE ANYTHING IS LESS THAN PERFECT.

3 minutes, 16 seconds

EVERYTHING HAS ALWAYS GOT TO BE THE BIGGEST, BEST, GREATEST.

3 minutes, 18 seconds

IF HE'S IN CHARGE THAT MEANS THINGS ARE WORKING INHERENTLY IN HIS MIND AND HE'S NOT IT'S NOT ABLE TO REFLECT THAT SOME PEOPLE OUT THERE ARE SUFFERING.

3 minutes, 26 seconds

LET'S REMEMBER A WEEK AGO HE FLAT OUT SAID, I'M PARAPHRASING ONLY SLIGHTLY, THAT HE DIDN'T CARE ABOUT AMERICANS

3 minutes, 35 seconds

HE SAID IT WAS A PERFECT STATEMENT, HE WOULD SAY IT AGAIN.

3 minutes, 39 seconds

SO CONGRESSMAN, THERE ARE OBVIOUSLY A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO WOULD DISAGREE WITH THAT.

3 minutes, 43 seconds

WE SEE I THINK THAT'S A POLL AFTER POLL SUGGESTS THAT AMERICANS, EVEN REPUBLICANS, UNHAPPY WITH HOW THE PRESIDENT HAS HANDLED THIS ECONOMY.

3 minutes, 51 seconds

THEY THINK HIS PRIORITIES ARE DISTRICT, THAT HAS TO BE SOMETHING IN YOUR DISTRICT AS WELL. ABSOLUTELY.

3 minutes, 58 seconds

AFFORDABILITY NEEDS TO BE ABSOLUTELY FRONT AND CENTER AND IT'S CERTAINLY TRUE IN MY DISTRICT.

4 minutes, 2 seconds

ESPECIALLY TRUE IN CALIFORNIA WHERE WE HAVE THE HIGHEST cost of living in the country, highest gas prices, highest electricity prices.

4 minutes, 8 seconds

We're in the top three when it comes to groceries and water and housing.

4 minutes, 12 seconds

And so it is placing an enormous strain on folks in my state and all across the country.

4 minutes, 17 seconds

And I understand the idea that you don't want the Iranians to think, well, if you just inflict enough pain on American consumers, then, you know, we'll let you have a nuclear weapon.

4 minutes, 27 seconds

But at the same time, we need to be cognizant of the impact on the cost of living for every single decision we make.

4 minutes, 36 seconds

And Americans are telling us this is the most important issue right now.

4 minutes, 40 seconds

You know, David Ignatius, the problem for the president.

4 minutes, 44 seconds

The problem for working Americans is there's no wind inside.

4 minutes, 47 seconds

I mean, Donald Trump, more threats over the weekend. The Iranians continue to mock those threats. Again, our regional allies getting hit.

4 minutes, 54 seconds

There doesn't seem to be any easy off ramp.

4 minutes, 57 seconds

I know we've talked about that for weeks now, but there is no wind inside, is there?

5 minutes, 2 seconds

So Joe, the president has not found a way to reopen the Strait of were moves, and that's a big problem.

5 minutes, 12 seconds

And it's getting worse week by week.

5 minutes, 14 seconds

It's been around now for months, so I think it tends to recede in our minds.

5 minutes, 19 seconds

But in terms of a real drag on the global economy, it's only getting worse.

5 minutes, 25 seconds

And the president's choices are bad in either direction.

5 minutes, 30 seconds

If he goes back to full-scale war, starts bombing targets all over Iran, takes Karg ISLAND, YOU KNOW, GO DOWN THE LIST OF THINGS THAT HE COULD DO.

5 minutes, 38 seconds

HE TAKES THE U .S.

5 minutes, 39 seconds

DEEPER INTO WAR, A WAR THAT THE AMERICAN PEOPLE SEEM TO FEEL IS ANOTHER MIDDLE EAST QUAGMIRE. IT'S NOT A GOOD OPTION.

5 minutes, 46 seconds

IF HE EXCEEDS TO I HEAR THAT IRANIAN DEMANDS FOR CONTROL OVER THE STRAITS, FOR CHARGING TOLLS FOR SHIPS THAT

5 minutes, 55 seconds

PASS THROUGH THE

6 minutes, 9 seconds

WHICH WANTS TO BE PAID, WHICH WANTS REPARATIONS, IS GOING TO TAKE SOME MONEY OUT PERHAPS AS PART OF A LARGER AUTHORITY.

6 minutes, 17 seconds

IT MAY BE THE WAY THAT THINGS ARE HEADING.

6 minutes, 20 seconds

BUT I THINK THE BASELINE point to the larger discussion that you're having with Congressman Kiley is if the president's going to ask the country

6 minutes, 29 seconds

for sacrifices that hurt our standard of living, and that's going to happen this summer, inevitably because of the energy situation.

6 minutes, 38 seconds

He has to explain it to the country and to the people. And that continues to me to be mystifying.

6 minutes, 45 seconds

He THEY WON'T MAKE THE CASE IN ANY DETAIL AS TO WHY THESE SACRIFICES ARE NECESSARY.

6 minutes, 52 seconds

HE TALKS ABOUT HOW GREAT 401Ks ARE, THAT DOES NOT SPEAK TO PEOPLE WHO ARE PAYING MORE AND THE PRESIDENT IS FOCUSING ON NUCLEAR IRAN.

7 minutes, 5 seconds

WE CAN'T HAVE A NUCLEAR IRAN.

7 minutes, 8 seconds

AND IT SEEMS TO ME HE CAN I DON'T THINK HE'S GOING TO PIVOT OFF OF THAT, DAVID. BUT LIKE YOU SAID, IS NOT DOING THAT.

7 minutes, 14 seconds

HE'S JUST DENYING AFFORDABILITY IS A REAL PROBLEM AND SAYS HE'S NOT CONCERNED ABOUT AMERICANS.

7 minutes, 18 seconds

I WILL SAY, THOUGH, HE FACES I THINK THIS IS A COUPLE OF PROBLEMS BECAUSE OF HIS PAST CRITICISMS AND THE REPUBLICAN PARTY'S CRITICISMS OF HOW THEY

7 minutes, 26 seconds

THOUGHT THAT IRANIANS GOT THE BETTER OF BARACK TALK OBAMA IF DONALD TRUMP LEAVES IRAN AND THIS WAR AFTER HOW MUCH IT'S

7 minutes, 34 seconds

COSTED AMERICAN TAXPAYERS AND IRAN HAS NUKES THE PEOPLE ARE MORE CONTROLLED OF THE STRAIGHT THAN THEY DID BEFORE THE WAR?

7 minutes, 41 seconds

THAT JUST SEEMS TO BE A CATASTROPHIC POLITICAL LOSS DEMOCRATS, AND OBVIOUSLY WEAKENS AMERICA CATASTROPHICALLY AND STRENGTHENS

7 minutes, 49 seconds

ALL OF OUR ENEMIES IN CHINA AND IN RUSSIA.

MS NOW

9.82M subscribers

some songs

Monday, May 18, 2026