Former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows told Newsmax on Tuesday that President Donald Trump connects with working-class Americans in a way no other politician can.
He added that voters believe Trump cares enough to listen.
Appearing on "The Record With Greta Van Susteren," Meadows said Trump's strength with middle-class voters comes from his ability to speak directly to their concerns, particularly on the economy.
"The 401(k) — and that's really what the president focuses on — actually gets to a lot of those middle-class working men and women who actually have 401(k)s," he said. "So they see their balances go up and down based on the stock market."
Meadows said Trump's visit to the battleground state of Pennsylvania on Tuesday was no accident as Republicans look toward the November midterms.
"But it's not lost on anyone that the president's in Pennsylvania," he said.
Meadows said Trump used his visit to tout the economy during his administration while supporting Rep. Ryan Mackenzie in a competitive congressional district.
He said Republicans will continue to push policies that deliver for working Americans, including no tax on tips and no tax on overtime.
"They're going to drive that message home."
Meadows also pointed to Trump's ability to relate to voters outside his own economic circle, recalling a conversation he had with a working-class man from North Carolina during Trump's first presidential campaign.
"I asked somebody when he ran the first time, I said, 'Who are you ... voting for?' He said, 'Well, I'm voting for Donald Trump.' And I said, 'Really?' I said, 'Well, tell me why,'" Meadows said.
"If he made $70,000 to $80,000 a year, I would be surprised. He says, 'Well, he's just like me.'"
That kind of personal connection, he said, is what separates Trump from other politicians.
"Here's what Donald Trump does better than anybody else. He'll go into that McDonald's," Meadows said. "He'll go into and drive the garbage truck.
"He'll actually be there taking photos with those folks at the Mack plant."
Voters who might not otherwise back Trump still recognize his willingness to hear them out, he said.
"No other retail politician can do it like Donald Trump. I've seen it up close and personal," Meadows said.
"And people who normally would not be supportive of him say, 'Well, at least the guy cares enough to ask me what I think.'"
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Nicole Weatherholtz ✉
Nicole Weatherholtz, a Newsmax general assignment reporter covers news, politics, and culture. She is a National Newspaper Association award-winning journalist.