President Donald Trump will address the nation from the White House on Wednesday, December 17, 2025, and the small town of Rocky Mount, North Carolina, is bracing for the event. Residents say the high cost of living is squeezing them, and many wonder whether the president’s promises will reach their streets.
The Cost of Christmas
Daijah Bryant, a 26-year-old engine-plant technician, worked 22 straight days to save enough for holiday gifts. She pushed her cart out of a Walmart in Rocky Mount and loaded her sedan’s backseat with bags of presents. “Having to pay bills, if you happen to pay rent and try to do Christmas all at the same time, it is very, very hard,” she said with exasperation.
Economic Pressures in a Small Town
The uneasy feeling that grips Rocky Mount spans political affiliation. The town lies in two largely rural and somewhat impoverished counties, and some residents are hopeful that signs of reprieve are emerging. Trump’s visit is his second event this month aimed at championing economic policies ahead of a consequential midterm election next year, both held in presidential battleground states.
Similar to his earlier stop in Pennsylvania, Rocky Mount sits in a U.S. House district that has been historically competitive. Earlier this year, the Republican-controlled legislature redrew the boundaries for the eastern North Carolina district to favor their party as part of Trump’s push to have GOP-led states gerrymander congressional districts to help his party retain its House majority for the last half of his term.
The hardships reported by residents mirror tightening financial strains many Americans feel. High prices for groceries, housing and utilities are top concerns. Polls show persistently high prices have put Americans in a grumpy mood about the state of the economy, and a large majority say it is performing poorly.
Trump has insisted the economy is trending upward and the country will see some relief in the new year and beyond. In some cases, he has dismissed affordability concerns and encouraged Americans to decrease their consumption.
Downtown Rocky Mount: A Declining Hub
Crimson smokestacks tower over parts of downtown Rocky Mount, reminding the town’s roughly 54,000 residents of its roots as a once-booming tobacco market. Graffiti-covered trains still lug along on the railroad tracks that made Rocky Mount a bustling locomotive hotspot in the last century.
Those days seem long gone for some residents who have watched the town change over decades. Rocky Mount has adapted by tapping into other industries such as manufacturing and biopharmaceuticals, but it’s also had to endure its fair share of challenges. Most recently, financial troubles in the city’s government have meant higher utility prices for residents.
The city has been investing to try to revitalize its downtown, but progress has been slow. Long stretches of empty storefronts that once contained restaurants, furniture shops and drug stores line the streets. Most stores were closed Thursday morning, and not much foot traffic roamed the area.
The Jewelry Store’s Struggle
Lucy Slep, who co-owns The Miner’s Emporium jewelry store with her husband, has waited for Trump’s promised “Golden Age of America.” The jewelry store has been in downtown Rocky Mount for nearly four decades, just about as long as the 64-year-old said she has lived in the area.
The deterioration of downtown Rocky Mount has spanned at least a decade, and Slep said she’s still hoping it will come back to life. “Every downtown in every little town is beautiful,” she said. “But without the businesses, it’s dead.”
Slep’s store hasn’t escaped the challenges other Rocky Mount small businesses have endured. Instead of buying, more people have recently been selling their jewelry to the shop, Slep said.
Customers have been scarce. About a week out from Christmas, the store – with handmade molded walls and ceilings resembling cave walls – sat empty aside from the rows of glass cases containing jewelry. It’s been hard, Slep said, but she and her husband are trying to make it through.
“This year is just not a jewelry Christmas, for whatever reason,” she said.
Other Voices: Engineers and Technicians
Shiva Mrain, an engineer in Rocky Mount, said his family’s situation has not “become worse nor better.” He’s been encouraged by seeing lower gas prices.
Bryant, the engine technician, feels a bit more disillusioned. She didn’t vote in the last election because she didn’t think either party could enact changes that would improve her life. Nearly a year into the Trump administration, Bryant is still waiting to see whether the president will deliver.
“I can’t really say … that change is coming,” she said. “I don’t think anything is going to change.”
Looking Ahead
Slep is already looking ahead to next year for better times. She is confident that Trump’s economic policies – including upcoming tax cuts – will make a marked difference in people’s cost of living. In her eyes, the financial strains people are feeling are residual effects from the Biden administration that will eventually fade.
Optimism about what’s to come under Trump’s economy might also depend on whether residents feel their economic conditions have changed drastically in the past year. Mrain’s comment about lower gas prices gives some hope, but the overall mood remains cautious.
Key Takeaways
- Rocky Mount residents feel squeezed by rising costs as President Trump visits.
- Local businesses, from jewelry stores to tech shops, struggle amid high prices and empty storefronts.
- Residents hope Trump’s economic policies and tax cuts will ease financial strain, though many remain skeptical.
The town’s residents stand at a crossroads: they await the promised economic revival while grappling with the everyday realities of a tight budget. Their stories illustrate the broader tension between national policy and local experience as the nation prepares for a pivotal midterm election.
