Los Angeles: Former Vice President Kamala Harris sought to challenge President Donald Trump’s claims about the strength of the U.S. economy during a speech Friday, while drawing criticism for appearing to overlook the affordability pressures many Americans faced during the Biden-Harris administration.
Addressing the Democratic National Committee’s annual winter meeting in Los Angeles, Harris said Democrats must “be honest” about the state of the American economy and acknowledge that the American dream has increasingly slipped out of reach for many families. According to Fox News, Harris argued that the country is now grappling with an affordability crisis, which she attributed to Trump’s leadership.
“Obviously, we must focus on the midterms,” Harris said. “But Democrats, we must also have a clear vision for what comes after the midterms and then after Trump. We need to answer the question, ‘What comes next for our party and our democracy?’”
She continued by arguing that rising costs have eroded economic confidence across the country. “For so many, the American dream has become more of a myth than a reality,” Harris said. “Whether it’s the cost of food, energy, health care, transportation or housing, America is facing an affordability crisis, a crisis that we are witnessing is fueling a system [of] fear, frustration, and a lack of confidence in our systems.”
Republican critics and some analysts, however, pointed out that affordability challenges intensified during Harris’s tenure as vice president under President Joe Biden. U.S. inflation surged to a four-decade high during that period, peaking at 9.1% in July 2022. Gas prices also rose sharply during parts of Biden’s single term in office, placing added strain on household budgets.
Despite those pressures, Biden has defended his economic record since leaving the White House. In May, he said the economy under his administration was “growing,” with the stock market “way up” and U.S. global influence expanding.
Trump, meanwhile, has repeatedly praised the economy under his leadership. At a rally in Pennsylvania on Tuesday, he said economic conditions had improved during his presidency. Still, some recent polling indicates that a significant share of voters remain dissatisfied with Trump’s economic policies.
Recent government data show a mixed picture. The Consumer Price Index (CPI), a broad measure of everyday costs, rose 0.3% in September and was up 3% over the previous 12 months, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Core inflation, which excludes food and energy, increased 0.2% in September and also rose 3% year over year.
At the same time, there have been signs of easing price pressures. The national average price for gasoline fell below $3 per gallon in early December 2025 for the first time in four years, according to the American Automobile Association. BLS data also showed grocery prices declined more sharply in April 2025 than at any point since 2020, driven largely by a drop in egg prices.
An AP-NORC survey released Friday found that while many Americans remain concerned about high prices, those concerns have eased compared with the middle of Biden’s presidency.
Harris’s remarks underscore how affordability and economic credibility remain central issues as Democrats and Republicans position themselves ahead of upcoming midterm elections, with both sides seeking to define which leadership is better equipped to address voters’ cost-of-living concerns.
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