December 10, 2025 • 13 mins
In this episode, Jon Decker breaks down President Trump’s latest economic messaging and campaign strategy as he heads to Pennsylvania to address voter concerns over inflation, jobs, and the cost of living. Decker analyzes the looming Senate vote on healthcare subsidies and what it could mean for millions of Americans, along with the Federal Reserve’s expected interest rate cut and its potential impact on markets and household budgets. Plus, Decker examines the surprise Democratic win in Miami and what it signals for the shifting political landscape ahead of the critical midterm elections.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
Welcome to the White House Briefing Room for Wednesday, December tenth.
I'm John Decker. The President hits the road to tout
his economic message, traveling to the battleground state of Pennsylvania.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
I just want to say hello, Pennsylvania, and I'm thrilled
to be back.
Speaker 1 (00:19):
This is incredible commonwealth. The Senate set to vote Thursday
on a bill that will extend Obamacare subsidies that are
soon due to expire. The Federal Reserve expected on Wednesday
to announce another interest rate cut, and the first Democrat
in thirty years is elected the new mayor of Miami.
(00:41):
But we begin in Pennsylvania, where President Trump on Tuesday
night touted the US economy despite concerns among many voters
about the cost of living. President Trump on Tuesday was
in Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania, as he embarked on the first
of what the White House says will be a series
of speeches around the country to address voters concerns about affordability.
(01:08):
The speech in Pennsylvania is all a part of an
administration wide effort to change President Trump's messaging on the economy,
as many advisors wary that the concerns that voters have
about high prices are dragging down the President's poll numbers
and dragging down the poll numbers of congressional Republicans as well.
(01:32):
On Tuesday night, the President made it clear that Pennsylvania's
economy is stronger since he took office.
Speaker 2 (01:39):
Now, after just ten months in office, I'm pleased to
report that America is winning again, Pennsylvania's prospering again, and
I will not rest until this commonwealth is wealthier and
stronger than ever before.
Speaker 1 (01:54):
Now, the President in recent weeks has dismissed concerns about
the state of the US economy. In fact, in an
interview that he gave to Politico, which was published on Tuesday,
the President said he gave himself an a plus plus
plus plus plus on the US economy. But still there
(02:14):
are concerns out there, based upon public opinion polls and
also election results, that many voters do have concerns about
the state of the economy, particularly on issues concerning the
cost of living. But on Tuesday night, the President touted
the economic benefits for Pennsylvania since he took office in January.
Speaker 2 (02:36):
That's by inauguration, we've created nearly sixty thousand new Pennsylvania jobs,
including four thousand Pennsylvania manufacturing jobs that the Democrats gave
up on.
Speaker 1 (02:47):
Democrats four months have accused President Trump of mishandling the
US economy, but on Tuesday night, the President says, it
is Democrats who are to blame for any inflation in
any sector of the economy.
Speaker 2 (03:03):
They gave you high prices, they gave you the highest
inflation in history, and we're giving you We're bringing those
prices down rapidly, lower prices, bigger paychecks. You're getting lower prices,
bigger paychecks, we're getting inflation. We're crushing it.
Speaker 1 (03:19):
The President, in his nearly two hour long speech, touted
the Republican bill known as the Big Beautiful Bill, which
included cutting taxes on tips and social security, the record
high levels in financial markets, job growth, and he also
said that energy prices will soon be coming down. And
(03:40):
the President scoffed at the idea that affordability is a
major issue for most voters.
Speaker 2 (03:46):
He said it the other day and a lot of
people misinterpreted. They say, oh, he doesn't realize prices. Prices
are coming down very substantially. But they have a new word,
you know, they always have a hoax. The new word
is affordability. So they look at the camera and they say,
this election is all about affordability.
Speaker 1 (04:05):
The President said, if there are any issues concerning any
weakness in the US economy, it's not his fault. Instead,
he said it's the fault of his predecessor, President Joe Biden, inhrided.
Speaker 2 (04:18):
The worst inflation in the history of our country. Think
of that, and we're bringing him down rapidly.
Speaker 1 (04:24):
The President made the case that the economy is actually
very good, and he ticked off all of the areas,
all of the sectors, he says, in which prices are
actually down.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
So rent prices are down, dairy prices are coming down
very strongly. The cost of Thanksgiving turkeys was down by
thirty three percent compared to the Biden year.
Speaker 1 (04:47):
President even had charts to show to those in the
crowd in Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania, comparing certain food prices in
the Biden years to the prices that now exist in
his second term.
Speaker 2 (05:00):
Look at that prices are coming down. Their prices, it's
a hoax now.
Speaker 1 (05:06):
The president's speech in Pennsylvania came just over a month
after Republicans suffered election losses in governors' races in both
New Jersey and in Virginia, and voters there said the
number one issue that they are concerned about affordability. In fact,
attacking President Trump on the rising cost of living has
(05:29):
become a central theme for Democrats, who are already looking
forward to the mid term elections next year. The President
says his administration is doing all it can to bring
down inflation.
Speaker 2 (05:43):
Democrats go out, prices are too high. Yeah, they're too
high because they cause them to be too high. But
now they're coming down. One of the most important ways
we're defeating inflation is by unleashing American energy, including oil,
gas and clean beautiful call right here in the Commonwealth
(06:04):
of Pennsylvania.
Speaker 1 (06:05):
The President hit the road as he has seen some
declines in his poll numbers pretty much no matter what
poll that you're looking at. In an Economist Yugov poll
which was conducted last week, thirty two percent of voters
said that the country is going in the right direction
and gave President Trump a forty one percent approval rating.
(06:27):
Asked how he was doing on the economy, thirty seven
percent in that Economist Yugov poll approved of the president's job,
and in a Fox News poll released just this week,
seventy six percent of voters view the economy negatively. Also
on Tuesday, Senate Majority Leader John Thun announced that the
(06:50):
Senate on Thursday will vote on a Republican proposal to
replace enhanced health insurance subsidies under the Affordable Care Act
with health savings accounts that would receive federal contributions to
pay for out of pocket expenses. The Senate on Thursday
was already set to vote on a Democratic plan to
(07:13):
extend those expiring subsidies for Obamacare for the next three years,
and John Thune's decision will now give Republicans the opportunity
to vote for a Republican alternative. The Senate Majority leader
was under heavy pressure from his Senate colleagues, who warned
him that failing to advance a Republican plan would not
(07:37):
be good with the midterm elections less than a year away.
The Republican plan has the support from Senators Bill Cassidy,
Republican from Louisiana, and Mike Crapo, Republican from Idaho, and
according to Senate Majority Leader John Thune, that plan has
the support from a majority of Senate Republicans. They argue
(08:00):
that it would reduce health insurance premiums and save the
federal government nearly thirty billion dollars. Now, this vote on
Thursday is an important one and the reason why health
insurance premiums for the more than twenty million Americans who
get their health insurance through Obamacare will see their premiums
(08:23):
double by double digits next year starting on January first,
without any action from Congress. More economic news expected on
Wednesday a decision by the Federal Reserve as it relates
to interest rates, and an unusually divided FED is expected
to announce another interest rate cut at the end of
(08:46):
their two day meeting. Now, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell
led his FED colleagues in cutting interest rates in both
September and October after judging that the US labor market
was on shakier ground and that the tariff driven inflation
surge that many economists feared had not yet materialized. Now,
(09:09):
although there is expected to be an interest rate cut
announced on Wednesday of a quarter of a point, there
is division on the Federal Reserve Board. Policymakers do not
see eye to eye in terms of what to do
in both the short term and in the long term,
as many as five of the twelve voting members of
(09:30):
the Fed's Policy Committee and ten of all nineteen members
have signaled in speeches or in public interviews that they
don't see a strong case to actually cut interest rates
for the last time this year. There are some FED
policymakers that worry about cutting rates too much and finding
out that inflation is a bigger problem next spring. And
(09:54):
then there are those policymakers who fear that any damage
from any in the jobs market will be harder to
undo by waiting for evidence of that weakness in the
jobs market. One issue has been that the FED has
not had the type of data that it normally has
(10:14):
in terms of making decisions on interest rates, and the
reason has to do with that extended government shutdown. In fact,
the Labor Department is set to release reports next week
after the FED meeting on employment numbers for October and
November and inflation numbers for November. Fed officials on Wednesday
(10:35):
will also release new economic projections that could show how
much the FED expects to cut rates, if at all,
in twenty twenty six. Lastly, some political news that's getting
a lot of attention among Republicans and Democrats on Tuesday
night an election in Miami that could have some national implications.
(10:57):
Democrat Eileen Higgins won the Mayor's office in Miami, defeating
Republican Emilio Gonzalez. It marks the latest sign of the
Democratic Party's momentum heading into next year's midterms. Higgins is
the first Democrat to become mayor of Miami since nineteen
(11:17):
ninety seven, and she beat Gonzalez, who is a former
Miami City manager who served on President Trump's Homeland Security
Department transition team, to succeed incumbent Miami Mayor Francis Suarez,
another Republican. The win is the latest boost for Democrats,
who are coming out of better than expected elections in
(11:40):
governor's races in November and a strong showing in this
month's special House election in Tennessee. Democrats are hoping that
their base is energized head of the midterm elections next year,
and the new focus on issues like affordability will help
Democrats retake control of the House of Representatives Now. It's
(12:04):
important to remember that Miami narrowly went for former Vice
President Kamala Harris in the presidential election last year, and
that President Trump actually flipped Miami Dade County, which includes
the city of Miami. But Miami Dade County is important
because of its large Latino and Hispanic demographic. It makes
(12:26):
up seventy percent of the population, and the President made
inroads with those voters in the presidential election, but recent
polling has shown that the president has seen some declines
with this demographic group and that could hurt Republicans in
the midterms next year. As for Wednesday, two items on
(12:50):
the President's schedule. The President will participate in a roundtable
at two pm in the Roosevelt Room, and then at
five PM, the President will greet pastors in the Oval Office.
That particular item on the schedule is listed as closed Press.
That's the White House Briefing Room for Wednesday, December tenth.
(13:11):
I'm John Decker. Have a good one.
Welcome to the White House Briefing Room for Wednesday, December tenth.
I'm John Decker. The President hits the road to tout
his economic message, traveling to the battleground state of Pennsylvania.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
I just want to say hello, Pennsylvania, and I'm thrilled
to be back.
Speaker 1 (00:19):
This is incredible commonwealth. The Senate set to vote Thursday
on a bill that will extend Obamacare subsidies that are
soon due to expire. The Federal Reserve expected on Wednesday
to announce another interest rate cut, and the first Democrat
in thirty years is elected the new mayor of Miami.
(00:41):
But we begin in Pennsylvania, where President Trump on Tuesday
night touted the US economy despite concerns among many voters
about the cost of living. President Trump on Tuesday was
in Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania, as he embarked on the first
of what the White House says will be a series
of speeches around the country to address voters concerns about affordability.
(01:08):
The speech in Pennsylvania is all a part of an
administration wide effort to change President Trump's messaging on the economy,
as many advisors wary that the concerns that voters have
about high prices are dragging down the President's poll numbers
and dragging down the poll numbers of congressional Republicans as well.
(01:32):
On Tuesday night, the President made it clear that Pennsylvania's
economy is stronger since he took office.
Speaker 2 (01:39):
Now, after just ten months in office, I'm pleased to
report that America is winning again, Pennsylvania's prospering again, and
I will not rest until this commonwealth is wealthier and
stronger than ever before.
Speaker 1 (01:54):
Now, the President in recent weeks has dismissed concerns about
the state of the US economy. In fact, in an
interview that he gave to Politico, which was published on Tuesday,
the President said he gave himself an a plus plus
plus plus plus on the US economy. But still there
(02:14):
are concerns out there, based upon public opinion polls and
also election results, that many voters do have concerns about
the state of the economy, particularly on issues concerning the
cost of living. But on Tuesday night, the President touted
the economic benefits for Pennsylvania since he took office in January.
Speaker 2 (02:36):
That's by inauguration, we've created nearly sixty thousand new Pennsylvania jobs,
including four thousand Pennsylvania manufacturing jobs that the Democrats gave
up on.
Speaker 1 (02:47):
Democrats four months have accused President Trump of mishandling the
US economy, but on Tuesday night, the President says, it
is Democrats who are to blame for any inflation in
any sector of the economy.
Speaker 2 (03:03):
They gave you high prices, they gave you the highest
inflation in history, and we're giving you We're bringing those
prices down rapidly, lower prices, bigger paychecks. You're getting lower prices,
bigger paychecks, we're getting inflation. We're crushing it.
Speaker 1 (03:19):
The President, in his nearly two hour long speech, touted
the Republican bill known as the Big Beautiful Bill, which
included cutting taxes on tips and social security, the record
high levels in financial markets, job growth, and he also
said that energy prices will soon be coming down. And
(03:40):
the President scoffed at the idea that affordability is a
major issue for most voters.
Speaker 2 (03:46):
He said it the other day and a lot of
people misinterpreted. They say, oh, he doesn't realize prices. Prices
are coming down very substantially. But they have a new word,
you know, they always have a hoax. The new word
is affordability. So they look at the camera and they say,
this election is all about affordability.
Speaker 1 (04:05):
The President said, if there are any issues concerning any
weakness in the US economy, it's not his fault. Instead,
he said it's the fault of his predecessor, President Joe Biden, inhrided.
Speaker 2 (04:18):
The worst inflation in the history of our country. Think
of that, and we're bringing him down rapidly.
Speaker 1 (04:24):
The President made the case that the economy is actually
very good, and he ticked off all of the areas,
all of the sectors, he says, in which prices are
actually down.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
So rent prices are down, dairy prices are coming down
very strongly. The cost of Thanksgiving turkeys was down by
thirty three percent compared to the Biden year.
Speaker 1 (04:47):
President even had charts to show to those in the
crowd in Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania, comparing certain food prices in
the Biden years to the prices that now exist in
his second term.
Speaker 2 (05:00):
Look at that prices are coming down. Their prices, it's
a hoax now.
Speaker 1 (05:06):
The president's speech in Pennsylvania came just over a month
after Republicans suffered election losses in governors' races in both
New Jersey and in Virginia, and voters there said the
number one issue that they are concerned about affordability. In fact,
attacking President Trump on the rising cost of living has
(05:29):
become a central theme for Democrats, who are already looking
forward to the mid term elections next year. The President
says his administration is doing all it can to bring
down inflation.
Speaker 2 (05:43):
Democrats go out, prices are too high. Yeah, they're too
high because they cause them to be too high. But
now they're coming down. One of the most important ways
we're defeating inflation is by unleashing American energy, including oil,
gas and clean beautiful call right here in the Commonwealth
(06:04):
of Pennsylvania.
Speaker 1 (06:05):
The President hit the road as he has seen some
declines in his poll numbers pretty much no matter what
poll that you're looking at. In an Economist Yugov poll
which was conducted last week, thirty two percent of voters
said that the country is going in the right direction
and gave President Trump a forty one percent approval rating.
(06:27):
Asked how he was doing on the economy, thirty seven
percent in that Economist Yugov poll approved of the president's job,
and in a Fox News poll released just this week,
seventy six percent of voters view the economy negatively. Also
on Tuesday, Senate Majority Leader John Thun announced that the
(06:50):
Senate on Thursday will vote on a Republican proposal to
replace enhanced health insurance subsidies under the Affordable Care Act
with health savings accounts that would receive federal contributions to
pay for out of pocket expenses. The Senate on Thursday
was already set to vote on a Democratic plan to
(07:13):
extend those expiring subsidies for Obamacare for the next three years,
and John Thune's decision will now give Republicans the opportunity
to vote for a Republican alternative. The Senate Majority leader
was under heavy pressure from his Senate colleagues, who warned
him that failing to advance a Republican plan would not
(07:37):
be good with the midterm elections less than a year away.
The Republican plan has the support from Senators Bill Cassidy,
Republican from Louisiana, and Mike Crapo, Republican from Idaho, and
according to Senate Majority Leader John Thune, that plan has
the support from a majority of Senate Republicans. They argue
(08:00):
that it would reduce health insurance premiums and save the
federal government nearly thirty billion dollars. Now, this vote on
Thursday is an important one and the reason why health
insurance premiums for the more than twenty million Americans who
get their health insurance through Obamacare will see their premiums
(08:23):
double by double digits next year starting on January first,
without any action from Congress. More economic news expected on
Wednesday a decision by the Federal Reserve as it relates
to interest rates, and an unusually divided FED is expected
to announce another interest rate cut at the end of
(08:46):
their two day meeting. Now, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell
led his FED colleagues in cutting interest rates in both
September and October after judging that the US labor market
was on shakier ground and that the tariff driven inflation
surge that many economists feared had not yet materialized. Now,
(09:09):
although there is expected to be an interest rate cut
announced on Wednesday of a quarter of a point, there
is division on the Federal Reserve Board. Policymakers do not
see eye to eye in terms of what to do
in both the short term and in the long term,
as many as five of the twelve voting members of
(09:30):
the Fed's Policy Committee and ten of all nineteen members
have signaled in speeches or in public interviews that they
don't see a strong case to actually cut interest rates
for the last time this year. There are some FED
policymakers that worry about cutting rates too much and finding
out that inflation is a bigger problem next spring. And
(09:54):
then there are those policymakers who fear that any damage
from any in the jobs market will be harder to
undo by waiting for evidence of that weakness in the
jobs market. One issue has been that the FED has
not had the type of data that it normally has
(10:14):
in terms of making decisions on interest rates, and the
reason has to do with that extended government shutdown. In fact,
the Labor Department is set to release reports next week
after the FED meeting on employment numbers for October and
November and inflation numbers for November. Fed officials on Wednesday
(10:35):
will also release new economic projections that could show how
much the FED expects to cut rates, if at all,
in twenty twenty six. Lastly, some political news that's getting
a lot of attention among Republicans and Democrats on Tuesday
night an election in Miami that could have some national implications.
(10:57):
Democrat Eileen Higgins won the Mayor's office in Miami, defeating
Republican Emilio Gonzalez. It marks the latest sign of the
Democratic Party's momentum heading into next year's midterms. Higgins is
the first Democrat to become mayor of Miami since nineteen
(11:17):
ninety seven, and she beat Gonzalez, who is a former
Miami City manager who served on President Trump's Homeland Security
Department transition team, to succeed incumbent Miami Mayor Francis Suarez,
another Republican. The win is the latest boost for Democrats,
who are coming out of better than expected elections in
(11:40):
governor's races in November and a strong showing in this
month's special House election in Tennessee. Democrats are hoping that
their base is energized head of the midterm elections next year,
and the new focus on issues like affordability will help
Democrats retake control of the House of Representatives Now. It's
(12:04):
important to remember that Miami narrowly went for former Vice
President Kamala Harris in the presidential election last year, and
that President Trump actually flipped Miami Dade County, which includes
the city of Miami. But Miami Dade County is important
because of its large Latino and Hispanic demographic. It makes
(12:26):
up seventy percent of the population, and the President made
inroads with those voters in the presidential election, but recent
polling has shown that the president has seen some declines
with this demographic group and that could hurt Republicans in
the midterms next year. As for Wednesday, two items on
(12:50):
the President's schedule. The President will participate in a roundtable
at two pm in the Roosevelt Room, and then at
five PM, the President will greet pastors in the Oval Office.
That particular item on the schedule is listed as closed Press.
That's the White House Briefing Room for Wednesday, December tenth.
(13:11):
I'm John Decker. Have a good one.
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