As the midterms present a referendum on his second term, President Donald Trump continues to boast about his handling of the economy despite low approval ratings saying Americans aren’t feeling it.
But while Trump has tried to paint a rosy picture of the economy, Vice President JD Vance has been driving home a different message on the campaign trail — appearing more sympathetic to the economic squeeze frustrated voters are facing. Vance has also said the administration has made progress on that front, but urged voters to give them more time.
At several campaign rallies, Vance has urged patience, telling voters that “Rome wasn’t built in a day.”
President Donald Trump attends a rally at Butler High School in Vandalia, Ohio, October 3, 2026.
Nathan Howard/Reuters
According to a late September AP-NORC poll, 82% of adults disapprove of Trump’s handling of the cost of living and only 17% approve.
Despite polls consistently showing that many Americans are not pleased with the effect of Trump’s economic policies, the president continues to praise his record.
On his way to a campaign event in Texas last week, Trump told reporters he gave himself an “A+” across the board and discounted the economic pain from the war with Iran as a tradeoff with preventing that country from building a nuclear weapon.
And Trump said he’s had to campaign on his economic agenda and its results because other Republicans are not “selling” it enough.
Vance has taken a different tone than his boss, expressing sympathy for Americans’ economic frustrations while touting the Trump administration’s wins and progress, often encouraging voters to support Republicans in November so the work can continue.
“Everything was not going to be fixed in 18 months. But you can’t ignore people’s concerns,” Vance said during an interview with Real America’s Voice last week.
Vice President JD Vance speaks to supporters during a midterm rally at the Harlingen Convention Center on Sept. 30, 2026, in Harlingen, Texas.
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Asked for his message to voters last month at the All-In Summit, a gathering of business, tech and investment leaders, Vance urged them to give Republicans “another chance.”
“There’s a lot of good that’s been done, but there’s a lot of work left to do. Don’t give power to the people who cause the problems that we’re fixing. Give us another chance — or give us another couple of years to continue to work on the amazing things that we’ve been doing for the past two years,” Vance said then.
Trump has previously said that it was his own party doing an “extremely poor job” of selling his agenda and that’s why he’s touting his record.
“There are by a lot more Americans working today than at any time in the history of our country … .but nobody knows it. That’s why I’m doing it myself,” Trump said in late September. “I’m going out because nobody’s selling it. I’m doing, we’re doing an extremely poor job of promotion and an extremely great job of running the country. So, I think you’re probably better off with that. But we’ll get the word out. It should not be hard.”
But even though Trump has been touting job growth, the September jobs report showed only 29,000 jobs added, far below expectations. The report also reflected that wages are not keeping up with inflation.
President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance participate in a Memorial Day wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery on May 25, 2026, in Arlington, Virginia.
Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images, FILE
When asked about the difference in economic messaging between Trump and Vance, the White House said that the two men are sharing the same message.
“President Trump and Vice President Vance are sharing the same message with the American people: if Republicans hold Congress and keep delivering on President Trump’s agenda, American families will have more money in their pockets, secure borders, and safer streets.”
Vance is viewed as a top Republican candidate for the White House in 2028. Asked by NBC News last week if Republicans not performing well in midterms would factor into his decision on whether to run for president, Vance said he would consider it.
“You make these decisions by collecting as much information and trying to make a wise decision. And, yeah, I mean, regardless of what happens over the next 35 days, there will be new information, new things you have to make a decision over.”
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