The conservative Wall Street Journal editorial page on Tuesday whacked President Donald Trump for handing Democrats what it said could be a winning campaign message in the 2026 midterm elections.

In particular, the Journal took aim at Trump for professing indifference to the price increases his tariffs are likely to inflict upon American consumers when he said that "I couldn’t care less" if car manufacturers raise prices in response to his tariffs. He further added, "I hope they raise their prices, because if they do, people are gonna buy American-made cars.".....

"As a political matter, Mr. Trump’s 'I couldn’t care less' quote about price increases is likely to show up in Democratic campaign ads next year," the editors warned. "Polling shows most voters don’t think Mr. Trump is focusing enough on reducing prices—64% say not enough in the CBS News survey released Sunday. Mr. Trump won’t be on the ballot in 2026, but you can bet TV ads will link Republicans in Congress to Mr. Trump and those comments.".