President Donald Trump looked completely lost when pressed to explain a policy he should’ve been able to rattle off in his sleep.
But instead of projecting confidence, the president fumbled through basic facts — and even the usually friendly Fox News host across from him appeared visibly irritated as she tried to steer him back to reality.
The awkward exchange unfolded as Trump promoted a new fix for the housing affordability crisis: a 50-year mortgage plan his team had only just begun floating, even as critics — including many of his own supporters — slammed it as a bank-friendly scheme that would saddle buyers with decades of extra interest.
While speaking with Laura Ingraham, Trump brushed off those concerns and insisted “all it means is you pay less per month,” a response that made clear he either didn’t understand — or didn’t care — how much more Americans would pay over the life of such a loan.
Behind the scenes, the rollout inside the administration was just as shaky. According to CBS News, the 50-year mortgage idea “wasn’t fully vetted” and “wasn’t ready to be made public,” even as Trump rushed to defend it on Fox.
The idea came up casually when Federal Housing Finance Agency director Bill Pulte floated it to Trump at Mar-a-Lago, and Trump approved a Truth Social post promoting the concept.
“Housing costs are still out of reach… the average age of first-time homebuyers is now up to age 40,” Ingraham began before Trump cut in with, “Look I inherited that.” But before Trump could derail the conversation, Ingraham took back control.
“Your housing director has proposed something that has enraged your MAGA friends… this 50-year mortgage idea. They’re calling it a giveaway to the banks. Is that really a good idea?” she asked.
“It’s not even a big deal,” Trump shockingly proclaimed.
“I mean, you know, you go from 40 to 50 years, and whatever means you pay, you pay something less from 30 that some people had a 40, and then they have a 50,” said Trump as Ingraham corrected his obvious fumble.
“All it means is you pay less per month… It might help a little bit,” he insisted.
But not only are there no “40-year mortgages,” buyers will pay significantly more for their home under the new proposed plan.
The social media backlash was immediate.
Political strategist Mike Nellis put it this way, “Trump is so out of touch with everyday Americans, he doesn’t even know how long a typical mortgage lasts. Ingraham steps in to help him out, but it’s just embarrassing how disconnected from reality this guy is.
Others pointed out Ingraham’s tone, “Is this a somewhat rare occasion where Ingram appears slightly annoyed with him? “Let me get to the question!” Hmm,” said another viewer.
“He was about to go on an unhinged tangent and she checked him,” Donald responded.
“More interest Trump. Do the math. There was never a 40 year mortgage. He does not even know the years of a mortgage,” another Threads user responded.
Another Threads user mocked, “Why ask the bankrupted felon and tax cheat? He knows nothing of a working class life. Totally out of his depth. What a tool.”
Financial writer Andrew Lokenauth also explained Trump’s stunning 50 year plan in this post.
Trump wasn’t done though. He tore a page out of his tried-and-true playbook, blaming former President Joe Biden for the skyrocketing costs of housing.
“The problem was that Biden did this, he increased the interest rates, and I have a lousy fed person who’s going to be gone in a few months,” Trump whined.
“Still blaming Biden. I’ve never seen a president blame his predecessors as much as Trump,” observed Sally.
The reality is interest rates rose because of pandemic-driven inflation — which happened under Trump in early 2020. Many economists argue his policies worsened inflationary pressures, which Biden then inherited a year later. But Trump continues blaming Biden and Jerome Powell, the very Fed chair he appointed.
The numbers don’t support Trump’s narrative either. Gas prices, electricity rates, and grocery costs remain elevated — all pressure points driving up the cost of living even as Trump claims the opposite.
As the uproar grew, CBS reported that some Trump officials “vented their frustration” with Pulte for rolling out the idea so publicly and tying it so directly to the president. One source said Trump had been “lukewarm” about the plan and approved the Truth Social post partly “to get Pulte to stop talking about it.”
Other aides insisted the administration was merely exploring 40- and 50-year mortgages — along with other strategies — and that no final decisions had been made.
A White House spokesman attempted to soften the confusion, saying Trump is committed to cutting red tape, increasing housing supply, and lowering costs for Americans. But the messaging shift did little to quiet critics who saw a president stumbling through basic details of his own policy.
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