For Donald Trump, every microphone is a stage and every audience is a test of loyalty. So when applause didn’t follow his boasts aboard a U.S. aircraft carrier, the president did what he always does — yelled louder, demanding validation that never arrived.
What began as a routine address to U.S. troops quickly morphed into something else entirely. Trump leaned into his familiar rally cadence, barking claims and nicknames in search of cheers, as the troops stood frozen behind him in uncomfortable silence that only grew heavier the longer he spoke.
During a speech to U.S. troops aboard the USS George Washington at the Yokosuka Naval Base in Yokosuka, Japan, Tuesday, Trump went on a rant falsely marveling about how low prices are in the U.S. for staples.
“Inflation back home, we had the worst inflation in the history of our country,” Trump contended.
“Energy costs are down. You know, energy costs are way down. Gasoline prices are way down. Grocery prices are way down,” Trump yelled in an animated voice.
“We have a little problem with beef. We’re going to get that down very quickly, but the prices are way down,” he continued as the troops stood behind him in stunned silence.
Then he distracted himself with his own beef about a problem he’s been complaining about for months.
“Mortgage rates are down despite having an incompetent head of the Fed. I call him too late. He’s always too late. He’s too late in lowering interest rates. I call him Jerome ‘Too Late’ Powell,” Trump said as his quiet audience simply stared at him. And no one laughed at his childish name-calling.
“Trump is met with utter silence from the troops in Japan as he lies that ‘grocery prices are way down,’” journalist Aaron Rupar pointed out on Threads.
Others were quick to agree, “You can shout ‘way down’ all day but they are not anywhere near way down. This is one thing you can’t fake even to loyal MAGAS.”
Another reminded him that his joke wasn’t doing much to move the crowd, “Nobody gives a f…. what you call Jerome because he’s obviously way more intelligent than you ever will imagine to be.”
“What I’m seeing is a lot of fidgeting behind him. When the audience is riveted by what’s being said the movement is very slight, when the audience is bored they fidget. These troops were increasingly bored,” this social media poster wrote on Threads.
“Wtf is he saying with that voice of a crazy lunatic, trying to convince himself that his dementia isn’t there!!” another Threads user added with a biting critique.
“WTH would Japan care about US groceries. Why is he rambling (and lying) to people who have other concerns,” Deiloh stated on Threads.
Trump has said repeatedly claimed in recent months that food and energy prices are down.
Just last week during an Oct. 22 Oval Office event, the president again pretended he has delivered on a campaign promise to lower prices.
“Trump, for the second day in a row, falsely said that grocery prices are ‘way down’ and that inflation was not affecting prices, except for beef. The last publicly available data showed inflation rising to nearly 3 percent in August. In addition to meat, prices also rose for fruits and vegetables, chicken, fish and eggs, new and used cars, and clothing,” The New York Times reported.
The nonprofit Conference Board reported consumer confidence dipped slightly in October as Americans continue worrying about income and the job market. The Board reported Tuesday that the consumer confidence index slipped to 94.6 this month from a revised 95.6 in September.
That doesn’t seem like much, but a year ago the index was at 109.5, showing how public confidence has dipped over the past year.
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