• Murkowski tells president ‘you can’t call it a hoax and suggest that people are going to believe it’
• Trump traveled to Pennsylvania to tout economic record but veered off script repeatedly
• Democrats flipped Miami mayor’s race hours after rally in latest warning sign for Republicans

WASHINGTON, D.C. (TDR) — Senate Republicans are publicly breaking with President Trump over his handling of the affordability issue, warning that his dismissal of rising costs as a Democratic “con job” threatens their chances in next year’s midterm elections.

GOP lawmakers unhappy with Trump’s message say they appreciate his Tuesday trip to Pennsylvania to address the economy, but they want the White House to demonstrate more urgency in tackling the financial burdens weighing on millions of American families.

Murkowski Delivers Blunt Warning

Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) offered a pointed rebuke of the president’s attempts to wave away affordability concerns that polls consistently show rank among voters’ top priorities.

“You can’t call it a hoax and suggest that people are going to believe it. What you say matters.”

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The Alaska Republican suggested those surrounding Trump may have lost touch with ordinary Americans’ struggles. She noted the president does not personally shop for groceries or pay his own bills, making it essential that his advisers provide honest assessments of kitchen-table concerns.

Election Losses Sound Alarm

GOP lawmakers unhappy with Trump’s message point to a string of recent Democratic victories as evidence their party faces serious political headwinds. Democrats captured the Miami mayor’s office Tuesday night for the first time in nearly 30 years, defeating Trump-endorsed Republican Emilio González by 18 points.

That loss came just hours after Trump’s Pennsylvania rally and followed Democratic gubernatorial wins in Virginia and New Jersey last month. In each race, voters cited economic concerns and affordability as driving factors.

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A senior Republican senator, speaking anonymously, warned that Trump needs to recognize the severity of the political problem facing his party heading into 2026.

Health Care Divide Deepens

The affordability debate has exposed fractures within Republican ranks over how to handle expiring Affordable Care Act premium subsidies. Senator John Cornyn (R-Texas), facing reelection next year, said presidential guidance would be helpful as lawmakers struggle to unify behind an alternative proposal.

Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) warned that Republicans cannot simply talk their way out of the problem. He emphasized the need for concrete results.

“People aren’t dumb,” Hawley said. “They know when they go to the grocery store what it costs. They know what their rent costs. They know what their prescription drugs cost. And all of that stuff is too high.”

Trump Struggles to Stay On Script

The president’s Tuesday rally in Pennsylvania’s Pocono Mountains illustrated the challenge facing Republican strategists. Trump acknowledged early in his remarks that reading the teleprompter would put the audience to sleep, then proceeded to veer into attacks on windmills, transgender people and Representative Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.).

At various points he called affordability a “new word” invented by Democrats while also proclaiming he has “no higher priority than making America affordable again.”

Recent polling from CBS News found 75 percent of Americans believe the administration has not focused enough on lowering prices — including 57 percent of Republicans.

Will Trump adjust his messaging before Republican losses mount further, or will the party pay the price in 2026?

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