President Trump has waved off Democrats’ talk of “affordability” as political theater. This January, he’s doing the opposite: owning the issue — and daring Washington to follow him.

The pivot became unmistakable this week when Trump personally called Sen. Elizabeth Warren after she criticized him on affordability. Just days earlier, Trump had floated a 10% cap on credit-card interest rates — a proposal long associated with Warren herself.

“I told him that Congress can pass legislation to cap credit-card rates if he will actually fight for it,” Warren says.

That moment captures the shift. Trump isn’t conceding the argument. He’s taking up the cause.

In recent weeks, the White House has rolled out proposal after proposal aimed at the costs crushing American families — housing, debt, energy, utilities. Even when it irritates Wall Street.

The list includes…

• Banning Wall Street from buying single-family homes
• Directing Fannie and Freddie to buy $200 billion in mortgage bonds CNBC to push rates down
• Revisiting a credit-card cap that could save households $100 billion a year per Yahoo Finance
• Floating $2,000 tariff-funded payments to working Americans
• Leaning into Venezuelan oil to drive gas prices lower

On Monday night, Trump put tech companies on notice, posting that he never wants “Americans to pay higher electricity bills because of data centers” and insisting big tech must “pay their own way.”

Your Rundown for Wednesday, January 14, 2026...

Americans Don’t Care About CPI

Voters may read CPI headlines about slowing inflation, but they still feel higher prices.

AAA reports average gasoline prices have fallen to about $2.80 a gallon, down from much of the past four years. Mortgage rates have eased modestly. Yet overall prices remain about 25% higher than they were five years ago.

“Declining inflation is not the same as declining prices,” says Paradigm’s macro expert Jim Rickards. “Prices are going up at a slower pace,” he says, “but they’re still going up.”

Democrats seized on that gap because it bundles every frustration into one word: affordability. Housing. Food. Healthcare. Tuition.

Trump’s response, Jim notes, has shifted from denial to action. “Trump seems to understand he’s vulnerable on the affordability issue,” he writes, adding the president has launched “a full-scale effort to show he’s the one making life in the U.S. more affordable.”

Americans don't care about CPI baskets. They want relief now.

“Everyday Americans don't need a lecture,” Jim adds. “Trump is in charge so they expect Trump to deliver.”

January 2026 is Trump’s answer — and a signal that affordability is no longer the Democrats' issue to own.

Market Rundown for Wednesday, January 14, 2026

S&P 500 futures are down 0.35% to 6,975.

Oil is up 1.30% to $61.94 for a barrel of WTI.

Gold’s up 0.90% to $4,640.30 per ounce.

And Bitcoin is up 0.75% to $96,065.