Donald Trump Pushes ‘False’ Claim About Thanksgiving Meal Prices — Simple Math Exposes the Truth
Donald Trump has made another bold claim just days before Thanksgiving, and many people think he’s getting the facts wrong again. While speaking to reporters at the Palm Beach International Airport on Sunday, right before boarding Air Force One, Trump said that prepackaged Thanksgiving meals from Walmart are cheaper this year. He insisted that Thanksgiving dinners now cost about 25% less than they did under “Sleepy Joe Biden.”
Thanksgiving is one of America’s biggest family holidays, a time when people cook large meals, spend time together, and celebrate gratitude. Because of that, comments about food prices always get a lot of attention — and controversy.
According to The Mirror US, Trump has been repeating this same claim since early November. On November 6, he posted on Truth Social saying that Walmart’s numbers proved Thanksgiving dinner was 25% cheaper in 2025 than in 2024. He even repeated it during a news conference with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, claiming Walmart backed him up.
But when people looked closer, the claim didn’t hold up.
Walmart did release a cheaper Thanksgiving basket this year, but only because they changed what the basket includes. The 2025 basket costs under $40 and can feed 10 people at around $4 each. However, the basket contains fewer products than last year. In 2024, the basket had 21 items. This year, it has only 15. If you count each individual item, it drops from 29 last year to 22 this year.
Walmart also switched many items to their budget “Great Value” brand and removed several foods that used to be included. Items like pecan pie, mini marshmallows, muffin mix, sweet potatoes, onions, and celery are missing. So yes, the basket is cheaper — but only because it includes less food and lower-cost products, not because inflation magically disappeared.
Thanksgiving baskets can vary widely. A typical food basket includes items like turkey, canned vegetables, yams, corn muffin mix, and pumpkin pie mix. There are also gift-style baskets for hosts that include fancy snacks and seasonal treats. So comparing baskets year to year only makes sense if both baskets include the same items — and in this case, they don’t.
Other grocery stores are offering deals too. The White House pointed out that Aldi, Lidl, Target, and Schnucks all have cheaper Thanksgiving packages this year.
The story also touches on a well-known White House tradition — the annual turkey pardon. This custom goes as far back as Abraham Lincoln, who spared a turkey because of his son. But the modern ceremony officially started in 1989 under President George H.W. Bush. Since then, every president has pardoned at least one turkey each Thanksgiving.
Joe Biden pardoned two turkeys in 2024: Peach and Blossom. He also pardoned Liberty and Bell in 2023, Chocolate and Chip in 2022, and Peanut Butter and Jelly in 2021.
This year, Thanksgiving falls on November 27. The special turkey chosen for the ceremony will be part of the official celebration as “The National Thanksgiving Turkey.”
Meanwhile, Trump continues to face criticism over his comments on inflation, his tariff decisions, and the long government shutdown. Many people say he has been inconsistent with facts during his interviews and speeches, and they accuse him of pushing exaggerated or false claims.
His Thanksgiving price claim is one more example that people say doesn’t add up once you look at the real numbers.
The question now is whether Trump will follow tradition and pardon a turkey this year — and what he might say when he does. What do you think?
