Here’s a summarized version of the provided article, along with a "Key Takeaways" section at the beginning:
Key Takeaways:
- Donald Trump is attempting to create an alternate reality where prices are down, despite widespread evidence to the contrary.
- Polls show Americans overwhelmingly perceive prices as rising and often link these increases to Trump’s policies.
- Trump’s focus on "affordability" follows poor Republican election results and mirrors strategies used by politicians like Zohran Mamdani.
- His claim that Walmart’s Thanksgiving grocery list is cheaper this year is misleading due to fewer items included in the list.
- Trump’s ownership of the economy, particularly through tariffs, makes it difficult to distance himself from current economic anxieties.
- The strategy risks further alienating voters by making him appear out of touch with their everyday economic realities.
Summary:
Donald Trump, known for his ability to craft politically advantageous alternate realities, is now attempting to convince Americans that prices are down, despite ample evidence to the contrary. This effort is particularly striking given the persistent inflation and rising energy and grocery costs that Americans are currently experiencing. Trump claims that the Democratic’s success in a recent election hinged on lies and that prices were substantially lower during his administration.
This move is a gamble, considering polls indicate that most Americans understand prices are rising and often attribute this to Trump’s policies. Furthermore, there’s a growing perception that he has been inattentive to these issues. Persisting in this narrative could worsen the impression that the administration is disconnected from the reality faced by ordinary citizens.
Trump’s shift in focus towards "affordability" appears to be a reaction to Republican’s poor performance in recent elections. Inspired by the success of politicians like Zohran Mamdani, who centered his campaign on affordability, Trump is attempting to co-opt this strategy. Even his allies, like Vivek Ramaswamy, have urged Republicans to prioritize affordability over culture wars.
Trump has been vocal on social media and in public appearances about affordability, even going so far as to claim that Democrats’ message on the topic was a "con job." He argues that Republicans need to better showcase his economic successes, claiming there is "virtually no inflation." His specific example is Walmart’s annual Thanksgiving grocery list, which he says is cheaper this year compared to last.
However, this comparison is misleading. As CNN’s Daniel Dale points out, this year’s list contains fewer items. Overall grocery prices have increased, with average prices in September up from January and about 3% since last year. Furthermore, recent data indicates the largest one-month year-over-year increase in three years. When confronted about the inaccuracies of the Thanksgiving list comparison, Trump dismissed it as "fake news."
Multiple polls demonstrate that the vast majority of Americans recognize that prices are rising. A CBS News-YouGov poll revealed that only 7% of Americans believe prices have been decreasing. Similarly, a Washington Post-ABC News poll showed that fewer than 10% of Americans are paying less for groceries and utilities than they were a year ago.
Furthermore, Americans link these price increases directly to Trump’s policies. The CBS poll indicated that a significant majority believe Trump’s policies contributed to the increase in food and grocery prices. The Post-ABC poll showed that more than half of the respondents blamed Trump for rising prices to a significant extent. A CNN poll even showed that a majority of Americans believe Trump’s policies worsened the country’s economic conditions, a number that has increased significantly since March.
These perceptions are deeply ingrained, partly due to Trump’s prior neglect of the issue. His decision to implement tariffs, which often lead to inflation, as a signature economic policy has given people a direct link to blame him for economic hardships. By taking ownership of the economy, Trump now faces the challenge of convincing the public that things are better than they perceive.
While Trump may be able to persuade some people within his base to question their own experiences, it will be difficult to convince the broader population that they are better off than they are. His alternate realities may resonate in echo chambers where his claims are not challenged, but prices are a tangible reality that people encounter daily. Ultimately, Trump risks appearing out of touch with the economic realities of everyday Americans.
