Texas Republican Rep. Chip Roy found himself in an awkward position on CNN after anchor Kaitlan Collins noted that his closing argument to voters echoed a campaign slogan made famous by former President Joe Biden.

Appearing on CNN's The Source, Roy attempted to lay out how Republicans should convince Americans frustrated by rising prices to remain loyal to President Donald Trump's party ahead of the November 3 midterm elections. He urged Trump to prioritize affordability over White House renovations and other personal projects. The appearance doubled as a preview of the affordability message Roy wants his party to carry into the fall campaign.

“Don't talk about the helipad, talk about the fact we will get gas prices, diesel prices, home prices, food prices down if we cut spending, if we can increase refining capacity,” Roy said.

Collins interrupted to point out that Trump had made similar promises during his 2024 campaign: “But that's what President Trump said two years ago.”

Roy conceded that Republicans still had work to do, but argued the administration had already delivered progress on spending, taxes, government employment, and border security, noting that they had “only” been in office for 21 months. His response, however, produced an unforced error when he repeatedly called on voters to let Republicans complete what they had begun. “Let's finish the job,” Roy said, referring to the Iran war and cutting spending.

Collins pounced on the phrasing. “Well, you keep saying finish the job. That was President Biden's line,” she replied. “It didn't work.”

The slogan was tightly bound to Biden's failed reelection bid. He deployed the rallying cry “let's finish the job” during his 2023 State of the Union address and made it a centerpiece of his reelection message before withdrawing from the 2024 race following his widely criticized debate performance.

Roy was momentarily at a loss for words, but pressed on with his argument that Republicans deserved two more years to deliver lower interest rates, reduced inflation, and cheaper fuel.

Trump has repeatedly pledged dramatic cuts in energy costs, yet even as the conflict with Iran has pushed prices upward, he has boasted that the United States is racking up billions—making it harder for GOP candidates to craft a message that resonates with frustrated voters. According to AAA, the national average price for regular gasoline stood at roughly $4.23 a gallon on Thursday, up from about $3.04 a year earlier—a jump of more than a dollar a gallon that captured the scale of the messaging challenge Roy was trying to answer.

Collins also pressed Roy on Trump's praise for the profits major oil companies are earning while drivers pay more at the pump. Roy responded that Trump had previously criticized those companies for failing to pass along some of their gains to consumers.

The exchange grew tense again when Collins asked Roy whether Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton was running an effective Senate campaign. After the congressman declined to offer a direct assessment, Collins noted pointedly, “But I asked you if you thought Ken Paxton was running a good campaign.”

“You didn't say yes,” she added.

Roy, who lost his own race for the Republican nomination for Texas attorney general earlier this year, is departing Congress when his current term ends. In the final stretch before the November 3 vote, the exchange offered a template for the debates to come: Republicans arguing they need more time to deliver price relief, and interviewers ready to test those claims against the record.