KAITLAN COLLINS: Maggie, you know, you’ve covered the President his entire political career. He’s typically known for having good political instincts when it comes to voters and their sensitivities. What did you make of him doubling down on that comment tonight?

MAGGIE HABERMAN: Think that he is very adamant that he can sell this war that the American government is engaged in right now, and he is telling people that they should relax and trust him, and things should get better. This is not the first time in U.S. history that you have had a president say that, Kaitlan, to the public. However, for past presidents who have done that, it has not ended very well for them politically. Number one.

Number two, Americans are hurting, and gas prices are just what they are. As you said, the question was what it was. He said what it was. He has seemed far less attuned to voters’ concerns lately, and has been publicly talking more about himself and about what he perceives as injuries to himself, and condemning coverage and insisting that it’s not real. What is real is, again, the tape you just played.

And where gas prices are, could it change, as he keeps saying that it will? Because, gas prices are going to go down quickly, when the price of oil goes down because, this war ends, or whatever it’s being called right now, ends? It might. I mean, look, it’s a long — it’s a long way between now and November, which is generally the context in which the White House is looking at it, and his party is looking at it, but certainly not where it is today. And so far, this government doesn’t have a great record of being especially honest about where things are with the public. Remember, this was supposed to be a four- to six-week timeframe. Look at — look at where we are now.

COLLINS: You said he seems less attuned to voters’ concerns. Why do you think that is?

HABERMAN: I think there’s a variety of reasons, Kaitlan. But one is he’s not on the ballot.

Number two, I think that his information ecosystem is much smaller. We’ve talked about this any number of times. He is hearing from dissenting voices less than he used to. He is getting more of a sort of positive feedback flow to what he wants to hear, depending on what he’s reading or seeing, or what aides are sharing with him. The press crew that is covering him in the White House has changed, and that is in part by the White House’s design.

And so, I think, for all of those reasons, I think that he is feeling like he is going to listen to what he believes. And also, he thinks, you know, and people can judge this however they want, he relied on his instincts to win the election in 2024. He did win. He won it decisively. And his party has been in power. However, at a certain point, you can only control what you can control, and gas prices are what they are, and people can feel that. Again, it may change.

COLLINS: Yes.

HABERMAN: But this administration has not set a consistent set of goals for what it wants to achieve, other than, Iran can’t have a nuclear weapon. That could be very open-ended.

COLLINS: I mean, it’s also remarkable that the Vice President said, you know, That wasn’t exactly what the President said, is being misrepresented.

Speaker Mike Johnson saying, I don’t know the context of that.

And then Trump comes out and says, No, I would — I would repeat that same comment today.

HABERMAN: He did say that, but he also insisted that it was a fake question, and that they didn’t — they didn’t play his full answer.

And it wasn’t a fake question, and the answer was played. And so, he sometimes does say both sides of what could be a problem. But yes, ultimately he doubled down on it. And ultimately, if you are in the Republican Party and you are tethered to Donald Trump in the midterms, you don’t really want to hear that quote in an ad, and you’re very likely to.