Trump claims prices on everything are lower under his watch, and there’s one major problem with that argument

President Donald Trump said that prices have gone down since he became president in January. He made this claim even though Democrats just won several elections by talking about how expensive things are for regular people.

Trump wrote on Truth Social about Walmart’s Thanksgiving dinner deal to make his point. “2025 Thanksgiving dinner under Trump is 25% lower than 2024 Thanksgiving dinner under Biden, according to Walmart,” the president wrote. “My cost are lower than the Democrats on everything, especially oil and gas! So the Democrats ‘affordability’ issue is DEAD! STOP LYING!!!”

But here’s where things get tricky. According to The Hill, the government’s own numbers show something completely different. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that in September, prices went up by 0.3 percent that month and 3 percent over the whole year. This means inflation has stayed at about 3 percent since Trump started his term, which is basically the same rate as when Biden was president.

The numbers just don’t add up here

This year, Walmart is selling a holiday meal that feeds 10 people for less than $4 each. Last year, their meal fed eight people for less than $7 each.

Trump is trying hard to take back the affordability message from Democrats. Last year, Republicans won big by talking about high prices. But on Tuesday, Democrats flipped the script and won elections in Virginia, New Jersey, and New York City by focusing on the same issue.

During a recent interview, Trump kept saying prices were already dropping. “I think they’re coming down. I think they’re down already,” Trump told Bret Baier. “I think the biggest problem is Republicans don’t talk about it. They don’t talk about the word ‘affordability,’ and Democrats lie about it.”

This isn’t the first time the president has made bold claims that overlooked key practical problems with his proposals.

The gap between what Trump says and what the data shows creates a real problem for his team. He keeps telling people that costs are going down, but Americans are still paying more at stores and gas stations than before. The 3 percent inflation rate means things are still getting more expensive, just not as fast as they were a couple years ago.

Using just the Walmart Thanksgiving meal as proof also seems like picking and choosing. Sure, that one specific meal might cost less this year, but almost everything else keeps getting pricier. Now Trump has to convince voters their wallets feel better when the official numbers say the opposite.

The president has faced similar pushback on other policy initiatives where his claims didn’t align with reality.