President Donald Trump bragged that he was delivering on affordability for Americans after Walmart shared that its annual Thanksgiving meal was cheaper than last year’s — though Internet sleuths are skeptical whether that is actually the case.
Trump touted on his Truth Social platform Wednesday that Walmart’s Thanksgiving dinner this year was “down 25% since under Sleepy/Crooked Joe Biden.”
“AFFORDABILITY is a Republican Stronghold,” Trump, 79, claimed. “Hopefully, Republicans will use this irrefutable fact!”
The post, shared to X by the White House Rapid Response team, quickly got slapped with a Community Note. The correction from X users suggested that this year’s Walmart meal package only includes 15 items, compared to the 21 listed last year.
Internet users were quick to point out the differences between Walmart’s meal in 2024 and 2025, calling out the retail giant for supposedly using “cheaper” brands this year compared to last — even though this year’s meal does cost less.
Walmart in September announced its annual “Thanksgiving meal” for 10 people, providing 15 items to create a holiday meal, including a Butterball turkey, for only $39.33 – costing less than $4 a person.
For Thanksgiving last year, Walmart promoted its “inflation-free” Thanksgiving featuring 21 items that serves eight people for less than $7 a plate. This deal cost $52 in total, according to Eating Well.
While the items between the 2024 list and the 2025 list differ slightly, the 2025 list is about $12 cheaper, costing roughly 23 percent less.
Despite the clear decrease in price, Internet users ran with the idea that Trump’s claims were completely baseless. Some users called into question why last year’s list featured national brands and this year’s largely consisted of the Walmart-owned Great Value substitutes.
Walmart has not commented on the difference in lists. The retailer did not immediately return The Independent’s request for comment.
Meanwhile, Trump doubled down on the claim, declaring on Truth Social Thursday: “2025 Thanksgiving dinner under Trump is 25% lower than 2024 Thanksgiving dinner under Biden, according to Walmart.”
“My costs are lower than the Democrats on everything, especially oil and gas! So the Democrats “affordability” issue is DEAD! STOP LYING!!!”
He made a similar claim during a press conference in the Oval Office on Thursday afternoon.
While Trump’s math is only slightly off, the majority of Americans still feel he is to blame for the current affordability crisis that has washed over the nation.
Three-quarters of Americans say their household expenses have increased in the last year, despite Trump’s claims that prices are falling in the U.S.
About 74 percent of Americans say their regular monthly household costs increased by at least $100 in the last year, according to a new Harris poll published by The Guardian. Some Americans even said they’re paying between $500 and $749 more each month.
The rising costs were reported by Democrats, Republicans and independents alike. About 54 percent of Americans surveyed also said they believe the economy is in a recession.
Affordability was a key issue in elections this week that saw strong victories for Democrats in New York City, Virginia, New Jersey and around the U.S.
The White House did not immediately return a request for comment from The Independent.
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