The Latest Greatest Gaslighting: Trump, Affordability, and Deflection
“I don’t want to hear about the affordability, because right now we’re much less,” Donald J. Trump.
This was Trump’s response to a journalist’s question in the East Room of the White House on November 6th, after Americans took to the polls in a resounding vote to express their views on the affordability of life in our current economic climate. He followed this up with a series of similar tweets indicating things are the best they have ever been, even suggesting “affordability” is some nasty “new word” invented by the Democrats. I will add that perhaps we all agree that “we’re much less” if what is meant is that we are a country with less stability in the foundational necessities for success. Currently, it feels like many Americans are just trying to achieve the bottom of Maslow’s hierarchy, often barely. We know what we are experiencing…don’t we?
In case you missed Truthify’s piece “The Current Weaponization of Gaslighting”, gaslighting in a political context refers to the act of manipulating public perception by denying or downplaying observable realities, thereby causing confusion, doubt, and distrust. Let’s consider the gaslighting behavior on display and what that means for solutions to complex economic issues. Here is the list of gaslighting behaviors on display in his response to questions about affordability:
Denial: Asserting that affordability is not a significant issue or that economic indicators are being misrepresented.
· Countering or Blame Shifting: Attributing rising costs to previous administrations, foreign entities, or external factors beyond his control.
· Deflection: Shifting focus to subjects like immigration or resolved wars that he feels highlight strength or control.
· Trivializing: Downplaying the impact of affordability concerns by suggesting that the media or political opponents are exaggerating the problem for their own gain.
Gaslighting, as a rhetorical device, can be a powerful tool for authoritarian figures seeking to control the narrative. The need to trivialize, counter, deny, and deflect in this manner means a refusal to engage in substantive discussions that lead to solutions. Gaslighting essentially deflects the problem to be solved, burying it in the miasma of propaganda. How do we solve problems when those in power refuse to acknowledge its very existence?
Affordability is a genuine concern that requires acknowledgement to address the problem. The denial of the affordability crisis began with Trump’s claim that the cost of a Walmart Holiday meal was 25% lower than in 2024. The problem with this countering narrative is that it leaves out a critical comparator. There were six fewer items in that Walmart Holiday meal package, including the elimination of fresh produce. It is also a very superficial barometer of what is being experienced regularly. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), groceries for a family of four in 2025 range from $567 to $1,296 per month, which comes out to approximately $130 to $300 per week. This reflects roughly a 3.2% increase in August 2025 compared to 2024. There is a record-high median age of first-time home buyers (40 in 2025), a low first-time buyer market share (21% in 2025), and lower ownership rates than past generations at the same age. Gen Z at ownership is 24% and Millennials around 43-55%, often needing to work multiple jobs or move to cheaper areas to achieve ownership. There is a growing industry response with luxury home rental neighborhoods developed by apartment home developers, locking more young people into rental property without the ability to build equity. In addition, homelessness rates continue to rise.
With the enhanced Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies set to expire at the end of 2025, more than 20 million Americans buying individual market insurance will see significant premium hikes, with some facing doubled costs. Millions will potentially lose coverage, as part-time workers, gig workers, and self-employed individuals are affected, particularly low- to middle-income and older adults. There are already families making the difficult decision not to have health insurance. At the same time, recent 2025 data shows that roughly 37-40% of Americans can’t afford a $400-$1,000 emergency from savings alone, often relying on credit or loans. Lower-income families face greater hurdles. These are only a few of the factors that underpin how Americans are experiencing whether life is affordable. They signal a complex failure of infrastructure to create the foundation required for businesses to emerge and thrive, for families to succeed, and for better futures for their children.
Since the Walmart holiday meal denial, the denial of our own lived experience has continued to escalate. Trump even claims that this is all a Democratic hoax and that Democrats invented a “new word”, affordability. Even that is a denial of reality. I’m pretty sure affordability has been defined in Webster’s for quite a long time. The questions we should ask others in conversation are about their real, lived experiences. How do they feel that there is a denial of those experiences? How are problems solved when the problem is denied? What do they expect of their elected officials to “promote the general Welfare” as promised in the Preamble of the Constitution?
Keep joining us at Truthify to consider the impact of gaslighting, promote conversation, and empower individuals.