President Donald Trump keeps saying the cost of a Thanksgiving meal is cheaper this year. It might not be the winning message he thinks it is.
Sure, consumers are seeing savings on their table centerpiece, with retail turkey prices having dropped 16 percent since last year, per the American Farm Bureau Federation. Supermarkets like Target and Aldi revealed a price decline on popular side dishes. But the hidden reality is that grocers are eating some of those costs just for the holiday season, and several food industry groups and supply chain analysts predict prices will increase as soon as January — especially as bird flu resurges.
A temporary price drop won’t be enough to satisfy the average American voter, who is increasingly concerned about affordability ahead of the midterm elections and noticing that food costs remain well above what they can recall in recent memory.
New polling from POLITICO and Public First found that people are more worried about being able to afford their groceries than the rising cost of housing or health care, and 55 percent of them blame the current administration for the situation. This includes 20 percent of 2024 Trump voters, which reveals an uphill messaging battle for the president.
