Podcast Summary:

The Beat with Ari Melber
Episode: Americans Revolt Over High Prices Under Trump
Date: November 12, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode focuses on growing public anger over the high cost of living in America under President Trump, highlighting how concerns over healthcare, groceries, and energy prices have shifted political tides. Ari Melber discusses the impact of affordability crises on voter behavior, the surge of Democratic wins, growing wealth inequality exemplified by the rise of "trillionaire" tech CEOs, and draws historical parallels to political leadership and unity via a discussion with Chris Matthews about Robert F. Kennedy. The episode weaves in polling data, real voter sentiments, and expert commentary for a multifaceted look at today’s political and economic landscape.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Voter Anger and the Affordability Crisis

• Iowa Town Hall Clip: Episode opens with voter frustration over rising health care and living costs, even in Trump strongholds like Iowa.

  • [01:11] Voter: “Lower cost.”
  • [03:47] Voter: “These grocery store prices got me thinking. Thanksgiving about to be spaghetti. The way that groceries are grocering…”

• Poll Data:

  • 66% say Trump has broken his promise to lower costs.
  • Over 70% are aware of price increases in groceries/utilities; 59% blame Trump, including some Trump voters.
  • [02:12] Ari Melber: “…they blame him here on planet Earth in Reality Land because he's done very little to bring down the prices.”

• Comparison with Biden Years:

  • Trump is now experiencing similar public disillusionment Biden faced at the end of his term.
  • [03:20] Ari Melber: “…welcome to Biden year four land. It's not pretty.”

• Consequences for Trump:

  • Hypocrisy is highlighted: Trump campaigned on affordability but prioritized unrelated policy goals.

2. Expert Commentary: National Mood & Economic Reality

Cornell Belcher (Democratic Pollster)

• Independent Voters:
  • [06:24] “It's a dark period, Ari…67% of independent voters say Trump's policies have made the economy worse.”
• Parallels to 2008 Recession:
  • [07:09] “Many of the attitudes that Americans have are very much in line to where we were when the economy completely collapsed…”

Chris Matthews (Political Commentator)

• Corruption and Cruelty:
  • [08:16] “I think corruption and cruelty also had a lot to do with this. I think it was just a revulsion. I think people saw the gratuitous cruelty.”

Molly Zhang (NYT Opinion Writer)

• Unprecedented Tariffs and ICE Actions:
  • [09:43] “We have never been tariffed at this rate in modern life, so we don't really know what any of this is going to look like…a lot of people know people who've been disappeared…deported to countries they never were from…this stuff is really unprecedented…voters are genuinely…just dismayed.”

3. Economic Messaging Failures & Media Spin

• Distrust in Official Messaging:
  • [10:38] Ari Melber: “Donald Trump has been caught lying more than any other politician in history…the Washington Post has a whole…department. And they track it…People become inured to it, normalized.”
• Politicians Downplaying the Problem:
  • [11:51] Example of Treasury Chief denying ongoing inflation despite rising costs.
  • [12:25] Belcher: “It's D, right? D minus at best. Here's the problem…they're just flat out lying. Right. The election numbers aren't going down. They're big. They've been going up."

4. Wealth Gap and the “Trillionaire Era”

• Historic Wealth Accumulation:
  • [14:18] Ari Melber: “In the US Right now, the richest people are richer than ever. Literally…Elon Musk on a path to become the world’s first trillionaire.”
  • Tesla’s pay plan: Musk potentially earning more than “the whole economy GDP of Poland or of Argentina or of Sweden.”
• Layoffs vs. Stock Market Boom:
  • [19:30] “Amazon now targeting 30,000 job cuts. If they go forward after the recent 14,000, these could be the largest layoffs in history.”

Molly Zhang on Modern Gilded Age

• [18:33] “No, I mean, it's the closest to the Gilded Age, right? …a lot of betrayal, you know, of the Republican base too.”
• [20:08] “There's a big sentiment in this country that…unchecked capitalism is not the move anymore.”

5. The Politics of Affordability, Swing Voters, and Populist Messaging

• Inflation Swing Voters:
  • [21:19] Ari Melber: “We clearly have a subset of inflation swing voters who don't care that much about red or blue. And they're swinging on that.”
• Disconnect of the Elite:
  • [22:43] Zhang: “Trump is the richest cabinet ever. Okay? They're billionaires. So like, obviously they're not gonna be sensitive to this stuff.”

6. Historical Parallels: Lessons from Robert F. Kennedy

• RFK’s Message & Obama’s Call for Unity:

  • [25:20] Obama: “That deep down there is something core in us that we have in common that is extraordinary.”
  • [25:55] RFK (quoted): “I do not run for the presidency merely to oppose any man, but to propose new policies. I run because I am convinced that this country is on a perilous course and because I have such strong feelings about what must be done.”

• Chris Matthews on RFK’s Unifying Compassion:

  • [27:00] “How did he do that? Because he tried to do that…he was for law and Order…he believed that you're not going to have liberalism with people breaking the law.”
  • [29:18] RFK (audio clip): “I do believe that the American people are generous and compassionate, and I believe that we can do much better than we've done over the period of the last few years.”

• Gun Violence, Tragedy, and Knowing Loss:

  • [33:47] Chris Matthews on RFK Jr: “It's something…that affected me greatly…He should have. Well, he could answer that question. Your dad's been killed. But your reaction. I have never gotten over the Jack Kennedy killing.”

• Advice to Young Politicians and Journalists:

  • [36:52] Chris Matthews: “Writing columns is a way of getting ready to talk on television. And I think telling the truth, I stoke to that…it's complicated…sometimes it's complicated.”

• Resistance to Partisanship and Historical Courage:

  • [37:40] Matthews: “Your job's to look wherever way you look. And Bobby had to take on Lyndon Johnson…these crooks…killers in a rackets committee, you know. And it's not easy. Politics is not supposed to be simple.”

7. Voting Rights and Post-Election Battles

• Mail-in Voting Under Threat:
  • [41:23] Ari Melber: “Voting rights are under attack in a new way. All eyes on the Supreme Court, which is reviewing how states count mail in ballots that might be cast before the election but arrive in the mail afterward.”
• Legal Expertise Refutes Trump’s “State Pardons” Claim:
  • [44:21] Melber: “The argument he refers to is legally false. So either he doesn't know that, which is embarrassing for anyone working at DOJ, or as he might have alluded at the end, he knows that he said he would lose in the courts because states aren't controlled by the president.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Affordability Crisis

  • “Thanksgiving about to be spaghetti. The way that groceries are grocering…” (Voter, [03:47])
  • “Trump is a failure. He's also corrupt. We don't want kings in this country and we will do what he is not. Focus like a laser on affordability and lower prices for you.” — Ari Melber ([04:47])

• Corruption and Cruelty

  • “It was just a revulsion. I think people saw the gratuitous cruelty.” — Chris Matthews ([08:16])

• Modern Gilded Age

  • “It's the closest to the Gilded Age…But we've never had someone like Elon Musk go into the government, become a special government employee, practice reverse philanthropy with money that was taxpayer dollars…” — Molly Zhang ([18:33])

• Elites and Inflation

  • “Trump is the richest cabinet ever. Okay? They're billionaires. So like, obviously they're not gonna be sensitive to this stuff. But yes, voters are furious.” — Molly Zhang ([22:43])

• Historical Parallels

  • “I do not run for the presidency merely to oppose any man, but to propose new policies. I run because I am convinced that this country is on a perilous course and because I have such strong feelings about what must be done.” — Robert F. Kennedy ([25:55], read by Chris Matthews)
  • “America will be great again when it’s good. We’re the good guys.” — Chris Matthews ([31:41])

Timestamps for Major Segments

| Topic/Segment | Time | |---------------|------| | Introduction & Voter Frustration | [00:44]–[03:41] | | Affordability Polls & Political Shifts | [03:41]–[06:24] | | Cornell Belcher on Voter Sentiment | [06:24]–[09:03] | | Media Spin & Political Messaging | [09:43]–[12:25] | | Wealth Gap, Trillionaire Era, Tech Layoffs | [13:24]–[20:08] | | Political Messaging, Inflation Swing Voters | [21:19]–[23:15] | | RFK Lessons, Political Unity, & Compassion | [25:02]–[31:18] | | Chris Matthews on History, Advice | [36:03]–[38:38] | | Voting Rights & Post-Election Struggles | [41:01]–[44:21] |

Conclusion

Ari Melber’s episode delivers a searing look at America’s affordability crisis under Trump, showing how economic pain is rattling voters and reshaping political alliances. Through real stories, expert perspectives, and sharp historical analysis, the show captures the disillusionment driving today’s politics — and asks whether leaders can rise to the moment with honesty, compassion, and real solutions.