Donald Trump delivering his address to the nation from the Diplomatic Reception Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on December 17, 2025. DOUG MILLS / AP
Political communication experts have long observed this: Trumpism is a stripped-down and disjointed language, whose power lies in repetition. One of the American president's favorite words is "hoax." Russian interference benefiting him in the 2016 presidential campaign? "Hoax." His criminal indictments in 2023? "Hoax." Climate change? "Hoax." But this dismissal of an uncomfortable reality by blaming the Democrats is now triggering a crisis within his own ranks. That's because Donald Trump is now using the term for a central theme in the American public debate ahead of the midterm elections in fall 2026: affordability. In other words, the cost of living.
During a televised address on Wednesday, December 17, Trump finally addressed the issue. "Inflation is stopped," he claimed. It stood at 2.7% year-on-year in November, a slight decrease from the 3% recorded in January when the business magnate arrived at the White House. In his anger-filled speech, Trump blamed all of America's problems solely on his predecessor, Joe Biden. The billionaire, who claimed to be rewriting the terms of international trade through tariffs, currently avoiding the predicted recession and brandishing an unverifiable figure of $18 trillion in investments promised to the United States, is seeing his credibility drop in the polls.
