President Donald Trump’s recent “affordability” rally may have energized his base, but critics on both sides of the aisle say it could backfire in the 2026 midterms.
Fox News contributor and co-host Jessica Tarlov was direct in pointing out the mixed messages and real-world consequences of Trump’s economic claims.
Speaking during The Five, Jessica Tarlov said the rally was essentially an in-kind contribution to Democrats.
In her post on X, she wrote: “Last night’s ‘affordability’ rally was a gift to the Democrats. Trump championed austerity and said tariffs are making farmers rich.“
Tarlov noted during the segment that Democrats are likely to use Trump’s rally remarks heavily in their midterm campaign ads.
Tarlov pointed to moments from the rally where Trump downplayed Americans’ financial struggles.
“You can give up pencils, you don’t need that many,” she quoted Trump, referring to his remarks about families needing to cut costs.
“You don’t need $37 for your daughter, two or three is nice,” she added, summarizing Trump’s take on inflation and consumer spending.
She said these kinds of comments will not sit well with voters, especially when combined with claims that tariffs have helped rural communities.
“There is not a farmer that you could find to do an interview that is saying, ‘I have been made rich because of Donald Trump’s tariff policy,’” Tarlov said.
Brit Hume: Aid to Farmers Isn’t a Temporary Fix, It’s a Bailout
Fox News political analyst Brit Hume also recently weighed in, focusing on the multi-billion-dollar aid packages Trump introduced to help farmers affected by the trade war. Hume dismissed the idea that the $12 billion and later $13 billion in aid were temporary relief measures.
“This is a subsidy. This is 11 or 12 billion dollars paid out, money going into the pockets” of farmers who are hurting, Hume said. He called the move a bailout, not a loan, and added, “The president otherwise emotionally conservative on economic policies [is] engaging in a government program to try to bail out farmers who are hurt by his other program.”
Trump defended the aid as necessary due to China’s retaliation. “They don’t want aid. They want a level playing field,” Trump said. “I have seen that more with farmers than anybody else.”
Farmers Push Back
But on the ground, many farmers don’t feel enriched, they feel abandoned.
Tennessee soybean and cotton farmer Jeffrey Daniels told CBS’s 60 Minutes, “We’re selling our commodities at the same price that our grandparents were selling them for in the ’70s. What can you buy today that costs the same as it did in the ’70s? Nothing.”
Daniels and fellow farmer Franklin Carmack said they expect to lose around $800,000 this year. To offset losses, they even tried selling T-shirts made from their own cotton at $35 each.
Carmack said Trump’s tariffs were a major reason for their financial distress. “Every time we go buy something now… anything that comes from China that’s on that sprayer, there’s a tariff, and they’re just going to pass it directly to us,” he explained.
He acknowledged the aid money might help cover some bills, but said:
“It’s a Band-Aid when we need stitches.”
Emotional Toll in Farm Country
The financial damage has been accompanied by a mental health crisis in rural America. Carmack now takes four blood pressure pills a day and says stress levels among farmers have skyrocketed.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, farm suicide rates are now three times higher than the national average. Jolie Foreman, who runs Shelby County Cares in Missouri, told CBS, “Back in ’22, it was averaging out to about a life every three months.”
Disillusionment Builds
Nearly 80% of voters in farm-heavy counties backed Trump in the last election. But with tariffs cutting off markets like China and input costs rising more than 30% in five years, many say they no longer see a future.
Carmack had a message for the president:
“Come walk in my shoes. I’d show him the daily life… and then I’d hand him a stack of bills. And then I would show him the receipts, what I’m getting from my crop.”
Frustration grew after the U.S. approved a $40 billion bailout for Argentina, a top soybean competitor. During the trade war, China shifted its soybean purchases from the U.S. to Argentina.
“I’m about ready to lose my farm,” one man said at a town hall. “I am pissed and I’m pissed at you.”
As the 2026 midterms approach, Trump’s messaging on affordability and farm policy may not resonate the way it once did. Critics say flashy rallies and empty promises can’t replace results.
“What they like more is money in their pockets,” Tarlov said. “And he’s not delivering on that.”
IMAGE CREDIT: “Donald Trump” by Gage Skidmore, via Flickr. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. Image adjusted for layout.