Top GOP pollster Patrick Ruffini is warning that Trump and the GOP face a political problem much larger than the ongoing Epstein headlines. He believes the real threat is bigger than the sealed files, the cost of living crisis.
Speaking to Politico, Ruffini said Trump and his team are parroting a failing economic message that no longer reflects how people actually live. He added that Republicans keep repeating “gas and groceries” as if that alone explains the frustration many families feel. “You have to talk about health care and housing too,” he said, adding that what’s hurting the party most right now is “a lack of focus.” His point was less about strategy and more about a kind of political tunnel vision that, he argues, is pushing voters away.
His comments come at a moment when Trump has insisted, repeatedly and without much success, that prices are coming down. Americans simply do not believe it, and the polling shows that voters are frustrated. In several recent races, voters punished Republicans over affordability and rewarded Democrats who hammered the issue relentlessly. Inside GOP circles, this is being treated less as a warning sign and more as a full blown pattern.
Meanwhile, the Epstein issue, which once energized parts of the Republican base, has become a sort of political distraction. Congress pushed through the Epstein Files Transparency Act, and Trump signed it, something he once seemed reluctant to do. Now that the files are trickling out, the topic is turning into a headache that is roping in names across both parties, including people the president would much prefer to keep out of the news. Some GOP strategists privately say it feels like a fire the party keeps trying to fan without noticing which direction the embers are blowing.
Trump said he’d lower costs on day one.
It’s been nearly 300 days now, and he’s only made life more expensive.
The average American family will pay $1,800 more because of Trump’s tariff taxes. pic.twitter.com/oknZfAXnyC
— Rep. Brendan Boyle (@CongBoyle) November 15, 2025
Friction inside the party has been growing. Conservative commentators have begun warning that Trump is losing his grip on the issues voters care about most. One recent column cast Trump’s ongoing fights with fellow Republicans as a sign that even some of his usual allies are irritated that he keeps jumping between foreign policy flare ups and social media feuds rather than zeroing in on affordability. Others, more quietly, say the White House cannot afford to gloss over rising rents, insurance premiums, and medical bills simply because those conversations are harder to win.
For Ruffini, the message is clear. Voters want answers, not slogans. They want to hear about housing shortages, not just grocery prices. They also want to understand why health care feels out of reach for everyday Americans. They want Trump and lawmakers to recognize the economic strain instead of insisting that everything is fine.
He says the challenge is getting the president to stay on message long enough to address the problem. “It would obviously be very nice to get Trump focused on affordability,” he said. Whether that shift ever happens is an open question, but Republicans who have watched recent polls are beginning to understand the cost of pretending the crisis is smaller than it feels.
For all the noise around Epstein, Ruffini says the real danger is already in front of Republicans, showing up in bank statements, rent reminders, and medical bills. And if the party doesn’t adjust, voters may deliver another painful reminder of their priorities.
