White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Monday made a claim that many Americans find hard to believe, and critics let her know on social media.
Speaking on Fox News, Leavitt lavished praise upon President Donald Trump for “common-sense policies across the board.”
She insisted, “Our country is safer. Our country is more affordable.”
Crime rates are down, although that’s a continuation of a trend that began before Trump returned to office.
But it was her second point that led to accusations of “gaslighting,” as affordability has been a defining issue of Trump’s second term.
Just last week, he gave himself a pat on the back on the issue.
“We’ve done a great job in reducing prices,” he claimed.
But prices have remained stubbornly high, making affordability a key reason behind Trump’s approval sinking to historic lows. His approval rating on affordability specifically is 43 percentage points underwater, according to The Economist’s poll tracker.
That same tracker finds affordability is the top issue for Americans, followed by the economy and jobs.
But the president has called affordability a “fake word” and a “hoax,” and in June even said, “I love the inflation.”
Trump had also promised that gas prices would be under $2 a gallon on his watch. Instead, the national average is double that, largely due to his war with Iran, which has caused oil prices to surge.
As of this week, the average price is nearly $1 per gallon higher than it was a year ago, according to AAA.
As a result, critics on social media hit Leavitt with a reality check: