President Donald Trump on Tuesday boasted about his economic record, asserting that the economy is strong even though, in his words, "people aren't seeing it yet." Speaking at the White House Congressional Picnic, Trump listed what he considers his administration's achievements before addressing the economy.
Trump's Inflation Claims
"We have an economy — people aren't seeing it yet — when we inherited, when we started, we had the highest inflation in the history of our country," Trump said, repeating a falsehood about inflation that he has frequently stated. He added, "And we actually had just before the war, before the energy forced other things up, but — up or down. We had the best numbers."
Trump further claimed that the inflation rate was at "1.6%" in the three months prior to the Iran war, a statement that is not supported by data. He then assured Americans that they would "see numbers like that again."
Public Sentiment and Polling
Trump's remarks come amid new CBS News/YouGov polling conducted after he downplayed Americans' financial struggles. The poll indicates that a majority of Americans (57%) believe Trump's policies have made them financially "worse off." Since the start of the Iran war, gas prices and consumer prices have risen significantly.
Social media users on X (formerly Twitter) were quick to criticize Trump's characterization of the economy. One user wrote, "people aren't seeing it yet because it doesn't fucking exist," while another stated, "it's not going well."
- "Go to the grocery story or any gas station. You will see it. It’s not going well." — @DecodingFoxNews
- "We aren’t seeing it yet because it doesn’t fucking exist." — @JoJoFromJerz
- "The beauty of the economy is in the eye of the beholder?" — @AmoneyResists
- "The economy is good for the wealthy and insider traders… Felon 47 is trying to gaslight folks into a reality that doesn’t exist and people’s bank accounts and empty pantries don’t lie!!" — @ImKnotTheOne
- "MAGA unironically just living the quote… 'The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command'" — @TheTree
- "a winning message" — @MikeInacay
- "Is the good economy in the room with us right now?" — @ChrisRobinsonNJ
- "Meanwhile, everyone's struggling to afford gas and groceries. Fucking moron." — @thirty313
The disconnect between Trump's optimistic portrayal and the public's experience highlights a growing skepticism about economic messaging amid rising costs.
