Is punishing the poor Trump’s last hand to play?

October 13, 2026 • Us • Guardian World • 1 min read

Summary

President Donald Trump has taken several steps to address economic pressures before the November midterm elections, including trying to lower meat prices, mailing $500 healthcare checks, and promising $5,000 checks to adults if Republicans keep Congress. However, his administration is also removing over 750,000 people from Affordable Care Act (ACA) health insurance subsidies, a move that could increase financial hardship for many Americans.

Key Facts

President Trump proposed lowering barriers on beef imports to reduce meat prices but faced opposition from cattle industry groups.
His offer to stop diesel exports was not supported by oil companies.
Fuel efficiency standards were weakened, which may reduce car prices but increase gas expenses.
In early October, almost one million people received $500 checks related to healthcare achievements.
Trump promised $5,000 checks to adults if Republicans retain control of Congress, but this plan is unlikely to happen.
The administration removed more than 750,000 enrollees from ACA subsidies due to eligibility issues.
This ACA subsidy cut is expected to save the government about $2.2 billion per year.
Despite these cuts, the overall budget deficit is expected to increase significantly, partly due to planned large tax cuts.
Many spending cuts affecting low-income Americans are planned to take effect after the midterm elections to reduce political backlash.