Sarah Matthews, who served as a deputy press secretary in the Trump White House, has accused the current Trump administration of attempting to "gaslight" its own supporters by presenting an overly optimistic view of the economy.
Speaking to MS NOW's Nicolle Wallace, Matthews specifically criticized top economic adviser Kevin Hassett's recent assertion that the economy is performing "amazing." Matthews contrasted this with Republicans' past criticisms of the Biden administration for similar messaging.
"They clearly learned nothing from this because this is exactly what the Trump administration is doing," Matthews stated. "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?"
Matthews, now a vocal critic of former President Donald Trump, argued that while Biden faced external economic challenges such as Russia's invasion of Ukraine and lingering pandemic effects, Trump's current economic issues are largely "self-inflicted." She pointed to Trump's tariffs and his engagement with Iran as contributing factors.
According to Matthews, voters supported Trump based on promises of immediate price reductions and a focus on peace, but have instead seen what she describes as the opposite occurring. She described the administration's continued messaging as "a slap in the face" to those who supported him.