“WE GOT THE PRICES DOWN”—My Receipt Said “PAYING MORE. NOT LESS.”

Trump: “WE GOT THE PRICES DOWN.” And my receipt immediately files for a restraining order, stamped “PAYING MORE. NOT LESS.” One SKU getting a little cheaper is not a cost-of-living victory; it’s just the universe doing that “technically correct, practically annoying” thing.

The real scam is the scoreboard brain: pick the flattering line, declare victory, and act like averages are imaginary. Households don’t eat headlines—they buy baskets. So when the Reality Check shows “some got cheaper” and “far more got more expensive,” it’s not a debate topic. It’s peer review from the only source that never goes on cable.