GEOFF BENNETT: President Trump is on the road this week speaking tonight to young voters at a rally in Phoenix held by Turning Point USA.

At the top of his speech, the president spoke about the war with Iran.

DONALD TRUMP, President of the United States: This will be a great and brilliant day for the world, because Iran has just announced that the Strait of Hormuz is fully open and ready for business.

(CHEERING) GEOFF BENNETT: Joining us now is White House correspondent Liz Landers.

So, Liz, the president's remarks come at a time when polls show his standing slipping with younger voters.

What more did he say this evening?

LIZ LANDERS: Well, he has been talking about a range of issues.

I would say that he is still talking right now.

So I was listening to the speech as I was coming on set here.

He started talking about Iran at the top.

But he needs to focus on domestic issues in order to get these younger voters back.

There was a Yale Youth Poll that was conducted in March that looked at his disapproval, which is going up right now with younger voters.

For voters aged 18 to 22, his disapproval stands at 68 percent, for the age group 23 to 29 years old, 72 percent disapproval, and 30 to 34 years old 75 percent disapproval.

This was conducted in March.

But they did a similar survey between October and November of last year, and his approval between that survey and this one, the most recent one, dropped in every age group under the age of 35.

So all these young people are becoming less excited about him and less supportive of him as president.

In particular, the majority of young voters will vote for Democrats as of right now, according to that poll, in the fall.

And young women voters have in particular moved away from President Trump.

He saw -- Democrats saw a gain of 17 points for young women 18 to 22 years old, and the top issue, according to that Yale Youth Poll, was affordability.

GEOFF BENNETT: And the president, meantime, Liz, as you well know, he is keeping up this ongoing dispute with Pope Leo.

When you talk to folks at the White House, what are they saying about that?

LIZ LANDERS: This has been going on now for six days, and the president started this on Sunday of last week and continues to talk about it.

He was asked about this yesterday as he was leaving the White House to go to Las Vegas.

DONALD TRUMP: I have to do what's right.

The pope has to understand that.

Very simple.

I have nothing against the pope.

His brother is MAGA all the way.

I like his brother really.

QUESTION: So, why are you fighting with him?

DONALD TRUMP: I'm not fighting with him.

The pope made a statement.

He says Iran can have a nuclear weapon.

I say Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon.

LIZ LANDERS: Pope Leo, I should add, has not said that Iran can have a nuclear weapon, just so we're clear about that.

But this has now turned into something that the vice president, who is Catholic, has been asked about.

He was also at a Turning Point USA event earlier this week in Georgia and was heckled by someone in the crowd, who yelled out "Jesus Christ does not support genocide."

J.D.

Vance turned to him and said, yes, Jesus Christ did not support genocide.

But he went on to say that the pope needs to be careful when he talks about matters of theology, Geoff.

GEOFF BENNETT: Back to the president's travels.

He's out West.

He's talking about the economy.

He's talking about this tax cut package he signed.

He's clearly trying to pivot here away from the war with Iran to an economic message.

LIZ LANDERS: Well, the White House has made it clear that they know they have to talk about affordability, and that is what Republicans have to run on in order to try to do well in the November elections, where historically they probably won't do that well as the party in power.

We heard from the treasury secretary this week talking about some of these signature tax and spending bills and issues.

He said, Secretary Bessent, that more than 45 percent of the tax filers that they have seen so far used one of the president's signature policies.

President Trump was in Las Vegas yesterday also talking about this no tax on tip policy as well.

And this also -- this visit to Arizona today is also a political move as well.

Arizona is, of course, a swing state.

There are two key congressional races there right now.

And the president was also sharing the same stage today as a gubernatorial candidate that he's endorsed, Andy Biggs.

GEOFF BENNETT: Liz Landers, our thanks to you, as always.