Donald Trump tried to use his address to the nation to gaslight the country into thinking that the economy is doing better than it actually is. Despite what he says, the cost of living is much higher than it used to be and many people in the lower rungs of society are being squeezed out by the one-two punch of rising prices and the shrinking social safety net.

Government data shows that America’s official poverty rate is on the decline, but that’s based on an outdated calculation of the poverty threshold that ignores how life has changed in the six decades since it was first implemented. Many recent polls show that the majority of Americans are continuing to struggle under an economic system in which they “often find themselves running very hard simply to stay in place,” as financial strategist Michael Green puts it. Author and radio host Thom Hartmann adds, “This is really being driven by kind of an insane combination of bizarre economics and politics designed to enrich the rich.” 

When questions get uncomfortable, President Trump doesn’t just change the subject with a deflection — he lashes out at the women journalists asking the questions. From insults ranging from "aggressive" to "piggy", the President's niece Mary Trump weighs in on why his attacks may be escalating, "he's feeling more and more comfortable being his worst self" and “he is terrified.” MS Now Contributor, April Ryan, who has personally experienced Trump's ire says, "It's not just the words, it's what they do."

Donald Trump is slapping his name and face on everything he can, but America’s institutions don’t belong to him.