Trump Says Democrats Caused Worst Inflation, Trade Deficit in U.S. History
Trump claims Democrats delivered record inflation, energy prices, trade deficits and allowed 25 million border crossings during their time in power.
WASHINGTON D.C. — Donald J. Trump said Democrats caused the worst inflation, highest energy prices and worst trade deficit in American history.
Trump shared the statement as a screenshot of a Breaking911 post on X, amplifying remarks attributed to him. The screenshot quoted Trump saying Democrats “gave us the worst inflation, highest energy prices, and worst trade deficit in American history, and allowed 25 million people to pour across our borders.” Trump used the deliberate misspelling “Dumocrats” in the text.
Here is the full post on truthsocial: “PRESIDENT TRUMP: The last time the Radical Dumocrats had power, they gave us the worst inflation, highest energy prices, and worst trade deficit in American history, and allowed 25 million people to pour across our borders… If given the chance, they’ll do it all again.” on October 20, 2026 at 12:43 AM ET.
This is Trump’s first message released today, and the last post was 3 days ago, and it is not part of a thread. On average, Trump produces 18 posts per day since his inauguration on January 20, 2025. The move fits a broader pattern in Trump’s recent messaging, with 38 of his 508 posts over the last 30 days classified as Domestic Policy posts.
The post contained several claims Trump attributed to the period when Democrats held power. He said inflation reached its worst level in American history, energy prices hit their highest point and the trade deficit grew to a record. He also claimed 25 million people crossed the border during that time. None of the figures cited in the post included specific data points, time ranges or sourcing.
A social media post from Breaking911 on X features a quote attributed to 47th President of the United States Donald J. Trump at WASHINGTON D.C.
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Trump’s decision to share the statement as a screenshot of a Breaking911 post rather than writing it directly suggests a strategy of amplifying his message through third-party accounts. Breaking911 is an account on X that aggregates breaking news headlines and political statements. The screenshot did not include a date, engagement metrics or additional context for the quoted remarks.
The claims touch on issues that have driven political debate in recent years. Inflation surged in 2021 and 2022, and energy prices rose sharply during the same period. The U.S. goods trade deficit widened during the Biden administration. Border encounters also reached elevated levels during that time. Trump framed all of these developments as the direct result of Democratic governance and warned that a return to Democratic leadership would produce the same outcomes.
Trump posted the message shortly after midnight, breaking a three-day silence on truthsocial. The late-night timing placed the post in the window between midnight and 1 a.m., a period that accounts for a small share of his posting activity since taking office in January 2025.
Zenger analysis
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President Trump is the author of The Art of the Deal, Think Like a Billionaire, and Think Big. Analyst and Trump supporter Rod Martin points to The Art of the Deal, Trump's 1987 book, as an explanation of his deal-making philosophy: making big announcements, pivoting often in public statements and, Martin says, ultimately getting what he wanted all along. Critics contend that Trump's books were published decades ago or were aimed at making money, not shedding light. "Generally," Martin said, "critics don't read The Art of the Deal. If they did, they would understand."