Overview
- Trump pointed to Walmart’s lower-priced Thanksgiving meal to argue costs are falling, though the 2025 bundle uses fewer items and more private-label substitutions than last year, a context highlighted by community notes and reporters.
- In a Fox News interview, Trump told a longtime supporter that prices are already “way down” and predicted $2 gasoline, but GasBuddy put the national average near $3.10 a gallon this week.
- Official data show CPI up 0.3% in September and about 3% year over year, with analysts noting grocery prices rising month to month and electricity costs higher than a year ago in many areas.
- Polling from Harris and Washington Post–ABC–Ipsos finds large majorities say household costs have increased, with many reporting higher grocery and utility bills and significant shares blaming Trump for inflation.
- Republican strategists, including White House deputy chief of staff James Blair, signaled a renewed focus on concrete cost-of-living policies after Democratic wins attributed to affordability concerns.