'Affordability is a con job by the Democrats,' Trump says
WASHINGTON − President Donald Trump blasted Democrats during his ninth Cabinet meeting for complaining about inflation after prices have fallen for products such as gasoline and groceries, part of a broader lament that his administration wasn't getting the credit it deserved.
“The word affordability is a con job by the Democrats,” Trump said Dec. 2. “The word affordability is a Democrat scam."
Democrats used affordability to sweep statewide elections last month in New Jersey and Virginia and used the issue to make a reliably red Tennessee Congressional district competitive in an election the same day as Trump's remarks.
More: Tennessee election updates: Republicans fight to stop Democratic upset
The meeting served as an opportunity for Trump to burnish his legacy and to highlight potential successors who he said could be seated around the table. Department secretaries described ways they had reduced government regulations, such as by eliminating subsidies for buying electric vehicles, or sought to make the country safer, such as through the Pentagon's attacks on Venezuelan boats allegedly trafficking in drugs.
Trump also boasted that his tariffs on imports from around the world were generating billions of dollars from around the world. He said to laughter he wouldn't name the countries that had been "ripping us off" such as South Korea and Japan.
"We're making a lot of money because of the tariffs," Trump said. "They were ripping us off for years." Follow along with the USA TODAY news team for live updates.
Trump says his 2028 successor likely sitting at Cabinet table
Trump pondered about the 2028 election during his marathon Cabinet meeting, predicting the Republican nominee will likely be someone sitting at the table with him.
Other Cabinet secretaries at the table included Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio – both considered possibilities to succeed Trump as the GOP nominee.
“It’s not going to be me,” Trump said. “It’s going to be somebody that’s probably sitting at this table. It could be a couple of people sitting at this table – could be a couple of people running together sitting at this table.”
After floating a possible unconstitutional third term for much of his first year back in office, Trump has made several remarks acknowledging that he can’t run against in 2028.
-Joey Garrison
Trump brings up Tennessee special election
President Trump brought up Tennessee's congressional District 7 special election during his Cabinet meeting – and singled out Democratic nominee Aftyn Behn – as he bemoaned how Democrats are running on “affordability” in their campaigns.
"They have a race going on right now in Tennessee, and this woman goes, 'Affordability, affordability.' They’re the ones who caused the problem,” Trump said. "The prices were way high. We’re bringing the prices down.”
The special election is set for Tuesday. Trump has urged his supporters to back Republican nominee Matt Van Epps in an effort to stave off a Democratic upset in a district Trump carried by 22 percentage points in the 2024 election. A close race is expected.
-Joey Garrison
Trump says Melania isn’t thrilled about ballroom construction noise
As President Donald Trump's plans for a massive ballroom turns the east side of the White House campus into a construction zone, one person inside the mansion isn't thrilled about the noise: first lady Melania Trump .
Trump, during the Cabinet meeting, discussed the trucks, cranes and excavators that have popped up at the White House following the October demolition of the White House's East Wing to make way for the future 90,000-square-foot ballroom .
"Every time I hear them, I love the sound," Trump said, adding: "I wouldn't say my wife is thrilled."
More: East Wing demolition isn't the first time Trump has ruffled feathers with a wrecking ball
"She hears piledrivers in the background all day, all night," the president said of Melania Trump. "They go till 12 o'clock in the morning ‒ day, night, piledrivers. 'Darling, could you turn off the piledrivers?' Sorry, darling. That's progress," Trump said. "But no, we're doing great. I think it's going to be the finest ballroom ever built."
Although Melania Trump was reportedly not initially keen on the ballroom plans, the president has said she has since jumped on board.
-Joey Garrison
Noem: 2 million immigrants deported
Kristi Noem , the secretary of Homeland Security, said 2 million immigrants without legal authority to remain the country have been deported or left voluntarily during the first year of Trump’s second term.
“Two million have gone home already, people that were here illegally you have removed and sent home,” Noem said. “We’re going to send more home for the holidays, too.”
Immigration and Customs Enforcement has hired 10,000 officers, with the latest to arrive within 10 days, Noem said.
Trump said the deportations focus on the worst immigrants.
“The focus is on the bad ones,” Trump said.
--Bart Jansen
Hegseth’s title misspelled on name card
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has had a rough few days amid growing scrutiny of the U.S. military operation against alleged drug boats.
So the misspelling on his name card at Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting may be the least of his concerns. The name card gives his title as “SSECRETARY.”
-Zac Anderson
Trump to Hegseth: “Good job.”
Trump turned to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to give the first Cabinet meeting report as the military leader faces escalating criticism for strikes on alleged drug boats.
Lawmakers said they will be reviewing the military’s anti-drug operation after a report that the U.S. carried out a second, lethal strike on a vessel in the Caribbean, killing two survivors as they clung to the wreckage.
The follow-on strike came after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth gave a verbal directive to "kill them all," according to the Washington Post. Hegseth said the report was "fabricated.” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said at a Dec. 1 news briefing that Adm. Frank M. Bradley gave the order for the second strike and was "well within his authority to do so.”
Hegseth said Dec. 2 that "Trump always has our back" and added: “We always have the back of our commanders who are making decisions in difficult situations, and we do in this case and all these strikes. They’re making judgement calls and ensuring that they defend the American people. They’ve done the right things.”
“Good job,” Trump said when Hegseth concluded his remarks.
-Zac Anderson, Francesca Chambers
Trump pushes for peace prize: “I should get the Nobel”
Donald Trump is still Nobel dreaming. The president brought up the esteemed peace prize, which went to Venezuela’s opposition leader this year, during his Cabinet meeting.
Trump said he hopes to settle the war between Russia and Ukraine soon but said he deserves the prize for conflicts he’s already ended.
“I should get the Nobel Prize for every war, but I don’t want to be greedy,” he said.
-- Francesca Chambers
Trump touts record as backlash builds
Trump opened his ninth Cabinet meeting with an extended defense of his policies as backlash builds to his second term ahead of next year’s midterm elections.
Democrats have performed well in elections this year amid simmering discontent with the economy under Trump, whose approve rating has dipped in polling.
With the midterms shaping up to be a referendum on the president, Trump touted his moves on drug prices, tariffs and other issues.
After Democrats romped in November elections in New Jersey, Virginia, Pennsylvania and elsewhere, a special House election in Tennessee today is being closely watched for further signs of how voters are feeling about Trump.
-Zac Anderson
Trump mourns slain National Guard member
Trump lamented the killing of National Guard member Sarah Beckstrom , who was shot Nov. 24, saying he spoke with her parents, who are “devastated.”
“The word is devastated,” Trump said. “The rest of their lives they’re going to be devasted.
“She was like a perfect human being,” Trump added.
Another Guard member, Andrew Wolfe, continues to recover from being shot .
Trump suggested the alleged killer was upset that crime numbers were down in DC.
“I guess this lunatic was upset that we were so effective,” Trump said.
--Bart Jansen
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump calls 'affordability' a 'Democrat scam'
