Executive Summary
The Story So Far
Why This Matters
Who Thinks What?
Daniel Dale, a political analyst, has identified a consistent pattern in President Donald Trump’s public communication: Trump makes a claim, his team attempts to clarify or walk back the statement, and then Trump reiterates the original assertion. This dynamic reportedly occurred twice within a recent 24-hour period, specifically concerning claims about grocery prices and the deployment of FBI agents during the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot.
Grocery Prices
President Trump has repeatedly claimed this fall that grocery prices are “down” or “way down” during his second presidency. However, CNN and other news organizations have reported that this is not accurate; as of September, grocery prices had increased by approximately 1.4% since January, when Trump returned to office, and by about 2.7% since September 2024.
Kevin Hassett, director of the White House’s National Economic Council, initially echoed Trump’s assertion but later pivoted to a more factual position. Hassett clarified that while “not everything” is up in grocery stores and “egg prices are down,” the average overall monthly inflation rate under Trump has been lower than under President Joe Biden.
The broader White House also issued a press release that repeated Hassett’s point about a decline in average monthly inflation. It stated that prices of grocery staples “are starting to see declines” and listed specific products whose prices have fallen, such as eggs, ham, butter, and ice cream, without acknowledging that more products have become more expensive.
Despite these attempts at clarification, Trump reiterated his original claim to reporters on Sunday. He stated, “From an economic standpoint, our prices are coming down very substantially on groceries and things. They’re already at a much lower level than they were with the last administration,” doubling down on his inaccurate assertion.
The FBI and January 6
In late September, Trump falsely claimed on social media that former FBI Director Christopher Wray had been caught lying about the activities of FBI agents on January 6, 2021. Trump asserted that 274 FBI agents were “secretly placed” into the crowd, possibly acting as “Agitators and Insurrectionists.”
This claim followed the publication of a document by a right-wing website mentioning 274 FBI agents deployed on January 6. However, the document indicated these agents were responding to the riot and other incidents, such as pipe bombs found near offices, rather than instigating the events. Furthermore, the Justice Department Inspector General found last year that the FBI had no undercover agents at the Capitol on January 6, though 26 paid informants were in Washington that day.
Kash Patel, then the Trump-appointed director of the FBI, attempted to correct the record regarding the agents’ activities. Patel stated that agents were deployed for a “crowd control mission after the riot was declared,” which he claimed went “against FBI standards.” Patel’s statements represented a clear repudiation of the president’s conspiracy theory.
Nearly two months later, Trump revived the conspiracy theory about the 274 agents. He reposted his September claim and, in a second post, promoted someone else’s call for Wray to be indicted and imprisoned, baselessly writing, “Wray lied!!!”
Concluding Observations
The analysis highlights a consistent pattern where President Trump’s public statements, often challenged on factual grounds, are followed by attempts from his administration to provide more accurate or nuanced explanations. Despite these efforts, Trump has consistently persisted in repeating his initial assertions.
