On Monday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt made a statement that many Americans found difficult to accept, resulting in a wave of criticism on social media.
During her appearance on Fox News, Leavitt praised President Donald Trump for implementing “common-sense policies across the board.”
She asserted, “Our country is safer. Our country is more affordable.”
While crime rates have decreased, this decline continues a trend that began prior to Trump’s return to office.
However, her remarks on affordability sparked accusations of “gaslighting,” as this issue has prominently marked Trump’s second term.
Just last week, Trump commended himself on his efforts regarding this matter.
He stated, “We’ve done a great job in reducing prices.”
Despite these claims, prices have stayed consistently high, leading to affordability being a major factor in Trump’s approval sinking to historic lows. His approval rating concerning affordability is 43 percentage points in the negative, according to The Economist’s poll tracker.
The same poll tracker indicates affordability is the leading issue for Americans, followed by the economy and employment.
However, the president has dismissed affordability as a “fake word” and a “hoax,” and in June even remarked, “I love the inflation.”
Trump had also pledged to keep gas prices under $2 a gallon, yet the national average has doubled, primarily due to his conflict with Iran, which has driven oil prices higher.
This week, the average price is close to $1 per gallon higher than the previous year, according to AAA.
Consequently, critics have confronted Leavitt with a dose of reality:
