DNC revamps messaging, says Trump is ‘killing the American dream’ through price hikes, ‘big beautiful bill’

FIRST ON FOX — The Democratic National Committee (DNC) on Friday launched a new campaign accusing President Donald Trump of “killing the American dream”through price hikes, market volatility and the GOP-backed megabill passed by Congress. 

Party officials plan to lean heavily on the message in the months ahead as they work to broaden their appeal and regain momentum ahead of the 2026 midterms.

The DNC’s messaging campaign, previewed exclusively to Fox News Digital, seeks to tie Trump directly to recent price hikes on consumer goods, such as groceries and baby food, as well as cost of living increases and insurance costs, which they argue will soar under the so-called “big beautiful bill.”

“America should be the land of opportunity but under Donald Trump, the American dream is dying,” they said Friday in an email previewed by Fox News.

The campaign will feature new memos and ads under the broader mantle of the “Trump killing the American dream” campaign, which is slated to run through December. 

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A pro-Trump supporter holds a banner in Times Square on Nov. 5, 2024 in New York City. (Robert Nickelsberg/Getty Images)

The initiative is part of the DNC’s broader upheaval of its messaging in the wake of the 2024 elections, which saw longtime Democrat voting blocs, including some minority voters and young people, shift towards Trump and the Republican Party. 

This includes Hispanic voters, whose support for Trump nearly broke even with former Vice President Kamala Harris in 2024, according to exit poll data, as well as larger shares of registered Independent voters and young voters. 

The new messaging strategy unveiled Friday focuses largely on what Democrats argue is the daylight between Trump’s campaign trail promises, contrasting his pledge to return America to a “golden age,” with the situation for many working-class Americans.

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House Minority Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), joined by fellow Democrats, speaks out against the One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act outside the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

It highlights expected cuts to Medicaid, food assistance programs and other community-based housing affordability programs that stand to be reduced, if not altogether eliminated, by the Republican spending bill.

“After ramming Trump’s [budget bill] through Congress, one thing is abundantly clear: Republicans own this mess, and it’s an albatross around their necks heading into the midterms,” DNC Chair Ken Martin told Fox News Digital. 

“This is the least popular legislation in modern history, and the more voters learn about it the more they hate it. That’s a clear directive for Democrats — we’re going to make sure every single voter knows who is responsible for taking away their healthcare, food, hospitals, and nursing homes.” 

That message is expected to be a central Democratic theme through 2026. Party officials say they’re now better positioned to make their case to voters — and that the American people, in return, are more willing to listen to them. 

President Donald Trump boards Air Force One at Calgary International Airport in Alberta, Canada, on June 16, 2025. (Brendan Smialowski / AFP)

The launch comes on the heels of the party’s “Organizing Summer” campaign, aimed at boosting Democratic operations in battleground states. The DNC has ramped up state-level funding, voter registration and volunteer recruitment — drawing more than 15,000 volunteers to date.

Officials say they will continue to hammer their message hard in the run-up to 2026, including in 35 Republican-held congressional seats the Democratic Party’s House campaign arm has identified as “districts in play” in the 2026 election cycle, or areas where they could find a path to winning back the House majority.

Friday’s launch is not the first time the DNC has tried to tie Trump to economic pain — but past efforts have had limited success. It remains unclear whether this latest push will resonate with Independents and Republicans, who delivered sweeping victories for Trump and the GOP in 2024, especially as the economy shows signs of resilience. Just Thursday, the Labor Department reported the U.S. added 147,000 jobs in June — blowing past expectations — while unemployment ticked down to 4.1%.

Balloons fall as the Democratic presidential nominee, then-Vice President Kamala Harris, celebrates with her family after accepting the Democratic presidential nomination during the final day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center on Aug. 22, 2024 in Chicago. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

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However, DNC officials insist the economic situation has changed as a result of tariff threats, volatility and unpopular legislation they see as a new opportunity to break through to voters who may have been less receptive in previous elections. 

They point to a Congressional Budget Office analysis which estimates the spending bill backed by Trump will increase federal deficits by roughly $2.4 trillion over 10 years and have a knock-down impact on working-class Americans, who could see a spike in insurance costs, housing prices, and cuts to Medicaid, SNAP and education programs, including Pell grants. They also cite projections that the bill could eliminate 1.2 million jobs by 2029.

“Let’s be clear: The Trump administration has taken aim at the very things that make America the greatest country in the world,” party officials said. 

“Americans are overwhelmingly rejecting his agenda, rife with buyers’ remorse. Democrats are standing with the American people, organizing everywhere, and fighting back — in Congress, in the courts, and on the ground in states across the country.” 

Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House and Republican National Committee for comment.