Washington, Nov. 18 -- US President Donald Trump on Monday declared that Americans are fortunate to have him in office as he sought to refocus his administration on concerns over rising living expenses affecting households across the country.

At the McDonald's Impact Summit, attended by franchise owners and senior executives of the fast-food chain, Trump pointed to what he described as progress made by his administration in addressing pandemic-era inflation, which he argued worsened under former President Joe Biden and contributed to recent Democratic electoral gains.

"Nobody has done what we've done in terms of pricing," Trump told participants, adding, "We took over a mess."

The remarks formed part of a wider effort by the president ...