On Wednesday, July 22, 2026, former President Donald Trump held a campaign rally at Wheeler High School in Marietta, an Atlanta suburb in Georgia, where he dismissed the term “affordability” as a political attack crafted by Democratic consultants to criticize his presidency. Despite this dismissal, Trump spent much of his speech promoting the tangible benefits of his economic policies.

Trump stated, “So I just want you to remember that if you’re paying a little bit more – a lot of it’s come down now, we got it coming down very rapidly actually,” attributing lingering high prices to the Biden administration’s legacy.

The rally also served to promote the newly funded “Trump accounts,” tax-free investment funds for every child born through 2028, seeded with $1,000 from the federal government. Parents, friends, and employers can contribute up to $5,000 annually. These accounts remain under parental control until the child turns 18, after which the funds can be used for college, buying a home, or starting a business. According to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, the initial $1,000 contributions will cost the government $17 billion through 2028.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, speaking before Trump, described the accounts as a “triumph of capitalism over socialism” and criticized what he called the “seductive lie” taught on many campuses that government can solve every problem and redistribute wealth, a comment implicitly contrasting Wheeler High School with other institutions.

Despite these efforts, a recent Washington Post-Ipsos poll found only 33% of voters approve of Trump’s handling of the economy, a factor that could impact Republican prospects in the upcoming November midterm elections. Meanwhile, gasoline prices in the US have risen above $4 a gallon, driven by increased oil prices amid renewed tensions with Iran and the strategic Strait of Hormuz.

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