Trump touts Walmart's cheaper Thanksgiving meal, downplays missing products
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President Trump pardons a turkey at the White House on Nov. 24, 2020, in Washington, D.C. Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
President Trump has been pointing to Walmart's reduced Thanksgiving meal as proof that his economic agenda is driving prices down across the board.
Why it matters: While the meal does cost less at a time when grocery prices are on the rise and millions are uncertain if they'll receive their full November SNAP benefits, the family feast also includes less food.
What they're saying: "Thanksgiving this year will cost 25% less than Thanksgiving last year under sleepy Joe Biden, so that's a big difference," the president said during a news conference in the Oval Office on Friday.
- "They include everything that you need for Thanksgiving."
- "That's emblematic of the rest of the prices," he said, also touting reduced energy prices, which are actually rising faster than the rate of inflation.
Reality check: Walmart's 2025 meal will feed 10 people for $4 per person instead of the $7 price tag to feed eight that it carried in 2024.
- It's a steep drop – but the company is including 23 items compared to the previous 29. And some of the remaining items, such as fried onions and cream of mushroom soup, come in smaller quantities.
- Among the booted items are fresh onions, celery and sweet potatoes, as well as chicken broth/seasoning, marshmallows and pecan pie.
- The new meal also includes several notable substitutions. Instead of name-brand cranberry sauce, the 2025 meal comes with cheaper fresh cranberries. Instead of Hawaiian rolls, the meal comes with generic dinner rolls.
Zoom in: When a reporter asked about the downsizing, the president called the question "fake news."
- The White House told Axios in an emailed statement that "Walmart's Thanksgiving bundle this year also includes new items that weren't in last year's bundle." New items include mac and cheese, carrots, and an extra can of green beans.
- "Pointless media gotchas won't change the fact that addressing Joe Biden's inflation crisis has been a Day One priority for President Trump," a spokesperson said.
- A spokesperson for Biden's office did not respond to Axios' request for comment.
Zoom out: Trump's been laser-focused on the meal bundle all week, at the same time that his administration is fighting court orders to fully fund November SNAP benefits for needy families.
- The legal battle has kept 42 million Americans, many of whom are seniors and children, from accessing money that they desperately need.
- A judge on Thursday ruled that the USDA must release the funds Friday, but the administration has so far refused to do so, filing an emergency appeal to block the ruling Friday morning.
Go deeper: Government shutdown, SNAP freeze - The food crisis is here
