Schiff Makes Big On-Air Admission About His Party’s Biggest 2024 Failure
California Senator Adam Schiff admitted during an appearance on ABC News that Democrats faltered in the 2024 election because they failed to remain “laser focused” on addressing the soaring cost of living, instead opting to criticize President Donald Trump’s economic track record.
Under President Joe Biden, inflation hit a high of 9 percent in June 2022—a sharp increase from the 1.4 percent rate when he assumed office. Despite this spike in consumer prices, Biden and many Democrats downplayed the severity of the issue, while Biden continued to highlight what he considered economic achievements—even as many Americans struggled with rising expenses.
Speaking on ABC’s “This Week,” host Jonathan Karl asked Schiff to respond to a Democratic lawmaker being escorted out of the House Chamber after interrupting Trump’s speech. Referring to a post on X by Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania—who argued that such actions hurt the party—Karl asked whether Fetterman had “a point.”
Schiff acknowledged, “Well, I think the lack of a coordinated response to the State of the Union was a mistake.” He added, “Frankly, it took the focus off of where it should have been, which is on the fact that the president spoke for an hour and 40 minutes and had nothing to say about what he would do to bring down costs.”
He continued, pointing out that Trump’s address did not provide any real solutions to help Americans “afford a new home, pay the rent or afford health care or child care.” Schiff emphasized the need for Democrats to maintain their “focus” on economic issues—despite the party’s choice to sideline that message during the election season.
“They’re destroying the economy, and they’re making it harder and harder for Americans to afford things. That’s where we need to keep the focus,” Schiff asserted regarding Trump and Republicans. “That’s why we lost the last election, because we weren’t laser-focused on the high cost of living, and what they’re doing now is just making it so much worse in the administration, and that’s really what we need to emphasize.”
Karl did not follow up by asking Schiff to elaborate on what Republicans have done to worsen the economic situation.
WATCH:
Former President Trump has enjoyed a surge in public support following the rollout of his new tariffs, which have shaken international markets.
A new DailyMail.com/J.L. Partners poll shows Trump’s favorability growing across various groups in the U.S.
The survey reported Trump’s approval rating at 53 percent—up from 49 percent just a week prior.
Despite the criticism surrounding the newly announced tariff policy, Trump’s popularity has risen. Among voters aged 18 to 29, his approval rating jumped by 13 points since March 7. He also gained six points among both Democrats and independents, according to the data shared by DailyMail.com.
Notably, Trump saw a 17-point increase in support from Black voters over the past week. Furthermore, when asked about his proposed universal 10 percent tariff on all imports, more Americans favored the idea than opposed it.
Specifically, 36 percent of respondents supported the 10 percent tariff, while 28 percent opposed it, and 36 percent remained undecided.
When asked more broadly about raising tariffs on all imports, 39 percent expressed support, 37 percent opposed, and 24 percent were unsure.
Support for targeting imports from China and the EU with tariffs also grew compared to the previous month.
Respondents also backed sector-specific tariffs on goods such as aircraft, plastics, metals, and steel.
In response to the tariffs, several foreign governments have signaled willingness to reduce or eliminate tariffs on American products.
Nearly 100 days into his new term, Trump continues to receive positive marks from business leaders, who believe the economy “can win now,” even if it hasn’t “started to win yet.”
TaChelle Lawson, founder of FIG Strategy & Consulting and participant in the Freedom Economy Index survey, told Fox News Digital, “I would give President Trump, right now, a pretty solid B+.”
“He came in with a very clear plan, and that was focusing on economics. He’s definitely putting business first, trimming the fat. That’s something that small business owners, business operators understand and respect. I think that it’s clear that his focus is on American business,” she added. “I do, however, think that the messaging could use a little bit of work.”
Lawson is one of over 50,000 small business owners who responded to the latest RedBalloon and PublicSquare quarterly survey.
According to Fox Business, the survey found that over two-thirds of respondents expect “slow” or “robust” growth for the economy this year—a dramatic shift from earlier pessimism.