By Jacob Bogage and Gram Slattery
THE VILLAGES, Florida, May 1 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump laid out what he sees as his administration's policy accomplishments on Friday, in a Florida speech before seniors that was a rare campaign-style stop ahead of November's midterm elections.
Speaking to voters in the conservative retirement community of The Villages, he credited a signature tax-and-spending bill passed last year with lowering taxes on Social Security benefits, and he touted his administration's plan to make GLP-1 weight-loss drugs available to Medicare patients starting in July.
The trip, Trump's first appearance outside the White House since an apparent assassination attempt last weekend, comes as the Republican president's approval rating has fallen to new lows between his two terms. While he's not on the ballot, Republican candidates for Congress are facing political headwinds in November's midterms.
More than six in 10 voters disapprove of Trump's performance, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll. His 34% approval rating equals the political low-water mark from the end of his first term, when, at his urging, a mob of supporters ransacked the U.S. Capitol after he lost his reelection bid.
Economic issues continue to plague Trump's second term. The average U.S. gasoline price rose to its highest level in nearly four years this week as the U.S. naval blockade of Iran continues with no end in sight. Inflation in March also grew at its highest clip in three years, the Commerce Department reported on Thursday.
'LET'S NOT TALK' ABOUT IRAN
In his speech, Trump appeared to recognize his need to appeal to voters on economic issues, and he largely glossed over his ongoing war with Iran, even as foreign policy has otherwise dominated his commentary and political attention in recent weeks.
"Let's not talk about anything until it gets finished," Trump said about Iran.
Some of his economic claims misrepresented his policies. The president, for instance, claimed to have eliminated taxes on social security benefits, when in reality his signature legislative package only reduced the portion of social security recipients who pay no tax on those payments by about 4 percentage points.
"The American people have made it very clear that they're very concerned about affordability issues, and I think the president is right that he does not bear sole responsibility for the fact that people are feeling sour about how expensive everything is," said Michael Strain, an economist at the right-leaning American Enterprise Institute. "But he, I think, does bear responsibility for not responding to the concerns of voters with a policy agenda that could plausibly address those concerns."
In many ways, the speech in The Villages represented a return to the kind of speeches he gave in 2024 on the campaign trail. In addition to focusing on the economy and other issues that are top of mind for voters like immigration, Trump frequently attacked Democrats in personal terms and brought up some divisive cultural issues, such as the participation of transgender athletes in school sports.
PRESIDENTIAL SECURITY IN FOCUS
Trump only briefly touched on the attack at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner on Saturday. During that incident, the alleged assailant, carrying multiple firearms and knives, was able to come within yards of the ballroom in which Trump, Vice President JD Vance and numerous Cabinet officials were seated before he was subdued by security personnel.
"I should be indoors at a secure facility where I can quickly, beautifully and safely play out my term, destroying everything that comes in our way, like bad countries that want to get nuclear weapons," Trump said.
Trump has said the incident is proof of the necessity of his controversial new White House ballroom, though the facility would have been too small to host Saturday's event. It would also not provide security for the myriad events presidents conduct with voters and dignitaries around the country.
After his remarks on Friday at the retirement community, Trump will speak to civic and business leaders across Florida in Palm Beach, then attend the PGA Cadillac Championship at his Trump National Doral golf resort outside Miami.
Florida, while Republican-leaning overall, is home to several congressional districts that are expected to be exceptionally competitive in November.
(Reporting by Jacob Bogage; Editing by Colleen Jenkins, Trevor Hunnicutt and Alistair Bell)
