Donald Trump was ridiculed Thursday as he claimed to have discovered a "new word" — one that's in common usage but he's suddenly realized the importance of.

MSNBC's Steve Benen pointed out the president's sudden obsession with "affordability" — a word that marks a curious shift in his rhetorical strategy, particularly on his social media platform, Truth Social.

Until this week, "He literally never wrote a tweet that included the word 'affordability,'" Benen wrote.

But since the GOP was routed in elections Tuesday — with everyday costs being a central issue — he seems to have become obsessed, Benen wrote.

On Election Day 2025, Trump boldly proclaimed, "If affordability is your issue, VOTE REPUBLICAN! Energy costs, as an example, are plummeting." Despite his claims, energy costs are actually rising, not falling, Benen said.

Following Democratic election victories, Trump doubled down, declaring, "Affordability is our goal." He then launched into a passionate rant: "2025 Thanksgiving dinner under Trump is 25% lower than 2024 Thanksgiving dinner under Biden, according to Walmart. My cost are lower than the Democrats on everything, especially oil and gas! So the Democrats 'affordability' issue is DEAD! STOP LYING!!!"

In reality, Walmart simply reduced costs by decreasing the number of items and replacing brand-name products with cheaper alternatives - not through any White House intervention.

During a Fox News interview with Bret Baier, Trump made even more audacious claims. He asserted that he had brought energy costs "way down" and that grocery costs were also "way down" — both statements being demonstrably false.

Perhaps most tellingly, Trump claimed, "You know, they have this new word called 'affordability' and [Republicans] don't talk about it enough. The Democrats did."

The article argues that Trump's newfound focus on "affordability" is more rhetorical than substantive. Republicans can repeatedly use the word, but it won't change the fact that the party has failed to effectively address cost-of-living challenges, Benen wrote

Democrats' electoral success on Tuesday, Benen argues, came not from merely mentioning affordability, but by highlighting the GOP's substantial failures on the issue and offering genuine alternatives.