Trump turns from Iran to economy as GOP faces midterm headwinds

Kate Sullivan and Caitlin Reilly, Bloomberg News on Apr 16, 2026

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump plans to take his economic pitch on the road to western U.S. states, as the White House grapples with an increasingly unpopular war with Iran ahead of the November midterm elections.

The president’s trip this week to Nevada and Arizona, two swing states that Trump carried in 2024, reflects a growing recognition inside the administration and among congressional Republicans that the party must remind voters of its economic accomplishments as affordability issues weigh heavily on American households.

Trump said he would tout his cornerstone tax law during a Las Vegas roundtable event on Thursday and in a speech Friday in Arizona, and contrast his policies with those of Democrat-run states.

“I think it’s going to be amazing,” Trump told reporters upon departing the White House. “If you look at what they’re doing in New York and California, they’re raising taxes and they’re driving people out.”

The White House’s attempted domestic pivot comes as the Iran war continues to rattle financial markets and a diplomatic resolution remains elusive. Polls show a majority of Americans disapprove of the president’s handling of the war and blame him for rising gasoline prices.

One of the party’s biggest challenges, however, is Trump himself. The president frequently strays off topic and speaks about other issues, such as the war in Iran, his political enemies, the news media and his planned White House renovations, during economic events.

Several Republicans this week — including Senate Majority Leader John Thune — have called for Trump to come up with a plan to wind down the war, noting the strain facing consumers and farmers from the closing of the Strait of Hormuz, which carries roughly a fifth of global oil supplies.

Trump’s economic pitch could be a tough sell for voters already struggling with the cost of gas, health care and other goods. They are receiving tax refunds that are bigger than last year, but much smaller than Trump promised in the months leading up to filing season.

More people have collected tax refunds this year than last, and those refunds are averaging nearly $350 higher than in 2025, according to IRS data. But that’s only about one-third of the $1,000 average bump Trump pledged.

Trump insisted Americans were seeing the benefits, saying Thursday that “people are finding out that in their tax return, they’re getting a big refund, much bigger than they thought.”

There are early signs that taxpayers have barely noticed the boost. In a recent poll conducted by the Bipartisan Policy Center, only 27% of respondents said last year’s tax changes benefited them, while 24% said they hurt them and 38% said they didn’t see a difference.

“The reality is the tax law is a dud for the vast majority of working people,” Senator Ron Wyden, the top Democrat on the Finance Committee, said Wednesday.

Nonetheless, Trump is expected to heavily tout one of the provisions in his tax bill — allowing some Americans to temporarily deduct tips from their federal tax bills — during his stop in Las Vegas.

That follows a photo op the White House staged on Monday, when a DoorDash driver delivered McDonald’s to Trump. Trump asked the driver whether she had benefited from his “no tax on tips” policy and, after a reporter inquired about the White House’s tipping practices, handed her $100 in cash.

Trump will then travel to Phoenix for an event Friday hosted by Turning Point USA, a conservative youth organization that stages events on high school and college campuses.

The organization has long been a key mobilizing force for young conservative voters, a group Republicans are eager to energize heading into the midterms. The event will also carry an emotional backdrop: it comes months after the assassination of the group’s founder, Charlie Kirk, during a campus appearance in Utah.

Trump is expected to appear alongside Kirk’s widow, Erika, who has since taken over leadership of the organization and has sought to maintain its influence within conservative politics.

--------

—With assistance from Josh Wingrove and Skylar Woodhouse.