Former White House deputy press secretary Sarah Matthews has accused the Trump administration of attempting to “gaslight” the American public over the state of the economy, drawing a sharp contrast with the president’s rosy assessments and the everyday financial struggles of many households.
In an appearance on MSNBC’s “Deadline: White House” with Nicolle Wallace, Matthews said Republicans had spent years slamming the Biden administration for telling Americans the economy was strong when they felt otherwise. “And they clearly learned nothing from this,” she said, “because this is exactly what the Trump administration is doing.”
Matthews specifically called out National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett, who recently declared the economy “amazing” on CNN. “They’re trying to gaslight their voters and tell them, ‘Everything’s fine,’ putting Kevin Hassett out there and having him go on the news and say that the economy is amazing. I mean, are you kidding me?” she said.
Hassett, during his CNN appearance, dismissed polling that showed most Americans view the economy negatively, arguing that strong consumption growth proves consumer optimism. “When you’ve got strong consumption growth, like we’re seeing right now, then consumers are by definition very optimistic,” he said, adding that he simply did not believe the poll.
Matthews’s remarks came shortly after President Trump touted the benefits of tariffs during a visit to General Motors’ Milford Proving Ground in Michigan, and just a day after Hassett’s upbeat assessment. The administration has repeatedly pointed to cooling inflation and low unemployment as evidence of economic health.
But Matthews argued that the economic pain is “self-inflicted,” pointing to the administration’s trade policies and its handling of tensions with Iran. She described the tariffs as “asinine” and said many voters now feel “bamboozled.”
“They voted for President Trump because he said that he was going to lower prices on day one. He said that he was going to be the peace president. He said he was going to do all these things, and it turns out that he’s done the exact opposite,” Matthews told Wallace.
She added that the administration’s messaging is “a slap in the face to the people that put him into office and that have supported him.” The criticism comes as some Republican senators worry the president’s agenda could hurt midterm chances, and as the White House faces scrutiny over its shifting explanations on Iran.
Matthews’s comments echo a broader Democratic line of attack, but her status as a former Trump aide gives the critique added weight. She served as deputy press secretary in the first Trump administration and later became a vocal critic of the president, particularly over his response to the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot.
