California Sen. Adam Schiff acknowledged on ABC News Sunday that his Democratic Party lost the 2024 election because they failed to stay “laser focused” on the high cost of living while also critiquing President Donald Trump’s economic policies.During former President Joe Biden’s tenure, inflation peaked at 9 percent in June 2022—a dramatic rise from the 1.4 percent when he took office. Despite this economic crisis, both Biden and the Democrats consistently downplayed the situation, with the then-former president repeatedly touting his economic achievements even as Americans grappled with soaring living costs.

On ABC’s “This Week,” co-host Jonathan Karl pressed Schiff about a Democrat being removed from the House Chamber Tuesday after attempting to interrupt Trump’s speech. Citing an X post by Pennsylvania Democratic Sen. John Fetterman, who criticized the disruption as more damaging to the party, Karl asked if Fetterman had “a point.”

“Well, I think the lack of a coordinated response to the State of the Union was a mistake,” Schiff said. “Frankly, it took the focus off of where it should have been, which is on the fact that the president spoke for an hour and 40 minutes and had nothing to say about what he would do to bring down costs.”

Schiff went on to state how Trump’s speech did not offer Americans help to “afford a new home, pay the rent or afford health care or child care,” adding how Democrats need to keep their “focus” on the economy — despite the fact that they refused to campaign heavily on the issue ahead of the November elections.