Does the mainstream media hate Donald Trump enough to lie about the U.S. economy in order to damage Republicans’ chances of holding congressional majorities and pursuing Trump’s America First agenda for two more years?
That’s an eye-rolling “LOL,” as the kids say.
A legitimate analysis of the nation’s current economic state shows the country Americans actually live in looks far more complicated — and far less catastrophic — than the toxified version presented by the mainstream press in order to torpedo Republicans.
Start with the numbers the media rarely repeats. Inflation, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), is rising at about 3% per year. That’s over the 2% Federal Reserve target, but it’s a far cry from the near-double-digit inflation of 2021–2022. Prices are still rising, yes — but they’re rising far more slowly, and in several key categories, they’re actually falling.
AAA says national average gasoline prices dropped below $3 a gallon last month for the first time in four years, a fact ignored by cable-news chyrons. Other prices have dropped too: apparel, rice, pasta, fruit, cereal, eggs, and butter all show flat or declining trends across recent months. Even in categories that rose sharply a few years ago — meat, coffee, processed foods — the increases today are modest or mixed.
The media’s favorite target, grocery inflation, is nowhere near the crisis it once was. “Food at home” inflation overall sits at about 2.7% – not painless, but not runaway. Prices for non-beef meats like poultry/fish have dropped, and egg prices have plummeted 50 percent from early 2025’s avian flu highs. These are numbers that suggest a cooling, stabilizing economy — not the collapse pundits keep warning about.
And don’t forget the wage side of the story. Civilian wages are up around 4%, private-industry wages about 3.5%, and unemployment sits near 4%, a range economists historically define as full employment. Meanwhile, financial markets show confidence, not fear: the Dow is up around 8% year-to-date, and the NASDAQ nearly 19%.
In other words, Americans are still working, wages are rising, inflation is moderating, and several everyday items cost less than they did a year ago. But you wouldn’t know any of that from CNN.
None of this means America has no affordability challenges. Housing remains expensive. Insurance costs have climbed. Food and services — especially those tied to labor — still put pressure on families. People have legitimate concerns, particularly lower-income households and retirees who feel price increases more acutely.
But an honest national discussion should include both sides of the ledger. The fact is the media wants to damage President Trump. The coming year will be a constant onslaught of negativity and “anonymous sourcing” of stories designed to shake voters’ faith in the America First agenda.
The fact is the U.S. economy is a mixed, stabilizing landscape marked by falling energy prices, cooling inflation, steady wages, and a resilient job market. That’s not the disaster we’re being sold. Were we not in the midst of the Decline and Fall of Mainstream Media, you’d be hearing more about that.
Dane Hicks is a graduate of the University of Missouri School of Journalism and the United States Marine Corps Officer Candidate School at Quantico, VA. He is the author of novels "The Skinning Tree" and "A Whisper For Help." As publisher of the Anderson County Review in Garnett, KS., he is a recipient of the Kansas Press Association's Boyd Community Service Award as well as more than 60 awards for excellence in news, editorial and photography.
