Nassour: An Open Letter to Washington: End the Gaslighting of American Families

Politicians are losing the trust of the American people by blatantly lying to their faces.

For instance, when Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., was shown a poll indicating that two thirds of Americans believe the economy was better under President Trump than under President Biden, he simply denied it by saying, “That’s just not the case.”

This trend in politics where facts no longer matter has been prevalent for the past decade, especially with the rise of TV journalism.

The opinion that is the loudest and reaches the most like-minded individuals becomes the accepted truth, regardless of facts.

This dismissive attitude towards the concerns and opinions of Americans is a major reason why Democrats are struggling to distance themselves from Trump.

President Biden might wonder why his polling numbers are low, but all he needs to do is look at the economic indicators.

During the later years of the Trump administration, inflation was around 2%, but following the COVID-19 outbreak and subsequent spending, it shot up to 9.1% in 2022.

Prior to the pandemic, wages were keeping up with inflation, but now they are falling behind.

As a single mother, I can personally attest to the fact that things felt better in 2019 than they do now.

Both Trump and Biden couldn’t have prevented the pandemic, but they are still responsible for the economic consequences that people are feeling today.

While the economy didn’t go into a recession as predicted, people are still feeling the impact of an economic downturn that could have been much worse.

So instead of telling us what to think, Leader Jeffries, listen to what the American people are saying.

While members of Congress start with a salary of $174,000, the average American household income was only $74,755 in 2022.

If anyone’s opinion about the economy should matter, it’s not the economists or politicians in Washington, but the families across the country struggling to make ends meet.

This should be a lesson for every candidate running for office this election cycle – listen to the people, not just your own ego.

No amount of messaging can change how people feel about the economy. If a paycheck doesn’t stretch as far as it used to, no statistics can change that feeling.

Instead of trying to change people’s perceptions, Leader Jeffries and President Biden should start listening to the American people.

Jennifer Nassour is the founder of the Pocketbook Project, host of the Political Contessa Podcast, and former Chair of the Massachusetts GOP where she rebuilt the party’s activist infrastructure leading the party to doubling seats in the Massachusetts House and a U.S. Senate race win.