To wit ...
... President Donald Trump appeared to dismiss concerns about the cost of living for Americans, calling such criticism a "con" by Democrats and touting his record on inflation.
Trump specifically cited what he said was the lower overall cost of Thanksgiving when compared with the tenure of his White House predecessor, Joe Biden.
"So I don't want to hear about the affordability, because right now we're much less," Trump told reporters on Thursday in the White House East Room. ...
His comments come amid ongoing debate over whether inflation and the cost of living have truly improved for households.
The president on Thursday claimed that his government has brought down inflation, which he said was now down to a "very low number" after having "the worst inflation in the history of our country."
Inflation surged to a peak of 9.1 percent under Biden, but had fallen to 3 percent by the time Trump took office. It has since hovered near that level, fluctuating between 2 and 3 percent during his term, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Trump has repeatedly cited the price of a Walmart Thanksgiving dinner, which he said dropped by 25 percent, as evidence of improved affordability under his administration. However, a fact-checking report from The New Republic has noted that this year's Walmart basket features fewer items than last year's. ...
[emphasis mine]
