Former President Donald Trump has asserted that the word "affordability" is "fake" and that most people are unaware that the word "dumb" contains a silent "b." Trump made these remarks at an event in Pennsylvania, where he linked the term "affordability" to what he called the "high prices" caused by Democrats.
"They came up with this word. They’re good at coming up with words, but we came up with a good word, too. They’re Dumocrats. Dumb. You take the ‘b’ out — most people don’t know that dumb has a ‘b,’ OK? But the ‘u’ replaces the ‘e’ and you have a Dumocrat," Trump stated.
However, historical records indicate that the word "affordability" has been in use since at least 1910, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, with its usage increasing significantly since the mid-20th century. Trump himself had pledged to reduce prices upon entering office.
Prices have continued to rise, particularly after actions that led to oil price spikes. While recent inflation data offered some positive news, new developments have caused oil prices to increase again, potentially impacting inflation.
Trump's "Dumocrat" slur and his assertion about the spelling of "dumb" are not new. He has frequently claimed that most people do not know "dumb" has a "b."
Critics responded to Trump's remarks on social media. Joe Walsh commented, "Hundreds of years from now, future generations are gonna yell out loud - ‘What the fuck were you thinking America?’" Michael Freeman noted, "I’m going to venture that this is the first POTUS in our nation’s history to marvel incessantly about learning how a four-letter word is spelled." Melanie D'Arrigo added, "Repeatedly bragging that he discovered that ‘dumb’ has a ‘b’ and that he passed dementia tests are not the giant presidential achievements he thinks they are."