America Action Network, a conservative nonprofit advocacy group tied to House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has invested more than $37 million in messaging focused on cost-of-living concerns heading into the 2026 midterm elections, according to its leadership. The group says the spending reflects what it calls the top issue for voters this cycle.
The organization has deployed ads highlighting Republican efforts on taxes, border security and economic relief tied to Trump's signature One Big Beautiful Bill, which passed in July of last year. Chris Winkelman, AAN's president, said the investment represents a sustained commitment to the affordability message through the summer.
What the Left Is Saying
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., has repeatedly cited Bureau of Labor Statistics data showing inflation rose 4.2% in May — a figure he described as a three-year high. "Inflation just hit a 3-year high, gas prices are out of control and life under Donald Trump is unaffordable," Jeffries wrote in a post on X.
Democrats have pointed to higher gas prices linked to geopolitical tensions with Iran as complicating Trump's promise to lower everyday costs for Americans. Party strategists argue that voters distinguish between messaging from political groups and actual kitchen-table economics, noting that polling showing economic anxiety cuts across demographic lines.
What the Right Is Saying
Richard Hudson, chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, defended the GOP focus on affordability as aligned with voter priorities. "House Democrats continue proving they're out of touch with the concerns of everyday Americans," Hudson said in a statement. "Republicans are focused on affordability, public safety, and securing the border, while Democrats remain captive to the far-left agenda that's failing working families."
AAN has targeted vulnerable Democrats in competitive districts, including a $3 million ad blitz in Florida, Virginia's 2nd Congressional District and Washington State. One ad criticized Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Wash., for voting against what the group calls tax relief measures included in the Big Beautiful Bill.
What the Numbers Show
A recent Fox News poll found 58% of voters view cost of living as their top economic worry, up from 50% in a February survey by the same outlet. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported inflation rose 4.2% in May, marking the highest level in three years according to government data.
AAN's $37 million investment represents one of the largest single-cycle messaging expenditures by an outside group ahead of the midterms. The One Big Beautiful Bill, which passed the House along party lines, includes provisions on tax cuts, border funding and energy policy that Republicans have cited as delivering relief to working families.
The Bottom Line
The $37 million commitment signals that cost-of-living messaging will dominate airwaves through November. AAN President Chris Winkelman indicated the group has more spending planned, saying in a statement: "Keep an eye out — we have much more to come later this summer." Both parties are betting that economic conditions will be the defining factor in competitive districts, setting up a high-stakes debate over which party voters trust most on kitchen-table issues.