Former President Donald Trump has pointed to a Walmart promotional offer on Thanksgiving meals as evidence of reduced consumer expenses under his administration, framing it as a reflection of broader economic improvements.
In a post on his social media platform, Trump asserted that the cost of a Thanksgiving dinner during his presidency was 25% lower than in 2024 under President Biden, attributing this to his policies. He emphasized lower prices on essentials, particularly oil and gas, and dismissed Democratic claims about affordability as misleading.
At a White House event, Trump reiterated the point, suggesting that his administration had delivered better value for consumers, though he did not explicitly name Walmart during the remarks. His comments came amid political discourse around economic well-being, with Democrats highlighting affordability in recent elections.
Walmart’s U.S. CEO, John Furner, confirmed in an October 21 interview that the retailer reduced the overall price of items in its Thanksgiving meal promotion by 25% compared to the previous year. He described the move as part of a broader effort to offer greater value amid consumer demand for lower-cost options.
However, official economic data remains limited due to a government shutdown, which has halted the release of key indicators like the monthly inflation report. The Bureau of Labor Statistics issued delayed September CPI figures only to calculate Social Security adjustments, leaving a gap in current economic monitoring.
According to the last available CPI data, food prices rose by 3.1% over the past year. Specific changes include a 0.6% increase in uncooked poultry, a 5% rise in canned fruits and vegetables, and a 3.9% hike in fresh biscuits and muffins. Meanwhile, egg prices dropped by 1.3%, and butter fell by 1.8%.
It’s worth noting that this year’s Walmart bundle contains fewer items—15 versus 21 last year—and includes a higher proportion of store-brand products. During Walmart’s latest earnings call, CEO Doug McMillon noted that some shoppers are switching to cheaper alternatives, reflecting ongoing cost sensitivity.
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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.