<h1>Affordability messaging: party leaders defend the president's economic record while urging unified candidate alignment.</h1> Republican leaders reject an affordability crisis and have centralized messaging to defend the president's economic record while pivoting rhetoric toward affordability. The White House and RNC portray cost concerns as media or opponent misrepresentation and emphasize presidential accomplishments, even as some candidates stress local affordability, taxes, and spending to appeal to voters. RNC talking points minimize recent losses and urge party unity behind the president, while independent polls challenge the party's comparative approval claims.