Trump appears to equate a Walmart Thanksgiving meal deal with an economic indicator
President Donald Trump claims the cost of Thanksgiving dinner will be cheaper this year, appearing to equate a Walmart Thanksgiving promotion with an economic indicator.
In a post on his social media platform, Trump wrote: "2025 Thanksgiving dinner under Trump is 25% lower than 2024 Thanksgiving dinner under Biden, according to Walmart. My cost are lower than the Democrats on everything, especially oil and gas! So the Democrats 'affordability' issue is DEAD! STOP LYING!!!"
At a White House event on Thursday, Trump also sought to tout what he said were lower prices this year, again appearing to reference the Walmart promotion, although without citing it by name.
"They came out and they said Trump's Thanksgiving dinner -- same things -- is 25% less than Biden's ... We are the ones that have done a great job on affordability, not the Democrats," Trump said, linking the success of Democrats in Tuesday's elections to their messaging about "affordability," which he called a "con job."
John Furner, the president and CEO of Walmart U.S., told GMA on October 21 that the company is lowering the cost of items making up its Thanksgiving meal promotion by an overall 25% this year compared to 2024. Furner said the price reduction was part of a push from the retailer to provide "value" to customers looking for lower prices.
Because of the ongoing government shutdown, key economic data -- such as the monthly inflation report, or consumer price index data, is not being collected or released. Two weeks ago, the Bureau of Labor Statistic released the delayed September CPI information as a one-off to make the Social Security cost-of-living adjustments for next year. Otherwise, the U.S. remains in a data vacuum.
According to the September consumer price index report -- food prices are up 3.1% in the past year.
Here's what the government data says about price changes for some Thanksgiving staples over the past year:
- Uncooked Poultry +0.6%
- Canned fruits and vegetables +5%
- Fresh biscuits, rolls, muffins +3.9%
- Potatoes +3.7%
- Eggs -1.3%
- Frozen and refrigerated bakery products, pies, tarts, turnovers +0.4%
- Bread +1.8%
- Butter -1.8%
When it comes to the Walmart promotion, this year's bundle includes fewer items -- 15 compared to 21 last year -- and a higher percentage of store-brand items.
On the company's last earnings call, Walmart CEO Doug McMillon said some customers are swapping out items for lower costs.
