The claim: Walmart decreased food prices to ‘pre-inflation’ rates under Trump
A Feb. 3 Facebook post (direct link, archive link) includes a video of a former U.S. congressional candidate speaking to the camera about a supposed drop in food prices at a major grocery store chain.
“Walmart is decreasing all food prices back to pre-inflation rates,” says Eric Deters, who campaigned to represent Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District but lost in the 2024 Republican primary election. “You think that would’ve happened but not for Trump, in some way? Good for Walmart.”
On-screen text in the post reiterates the claim: “Walmart decreases food prices back to pre-inflation within a month of Trump’s administration.”
The post was shared more than 700 times in a week.
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Our rating: False
There is no evidence Walmart decreased the price of its food in response to President Donald Trump’s electoral victory. The company has not announced any such all-encompassing price drop on food, and a spokesperson said the claim is false.
Walmart said Trump’s tariffs could raise prices for customers
Several major companies, including Google and Target, have responded to Trump’s executive orders rolling back diversity, equity and inclusion efforts by limiting their own diversity goals. Walmart announced such changes weeks after Trump’s election win in November 2024.
But the claim that it’s also slashing food prices across the board following Trump’s second inauguration is baseless.
There are no credible news reports about Walmart cutting food prices across the board in response to Trump taking office. No such announcement is on the retailer’s website or social media accounts, and the company described the claim as a “false rumor.”
“Walmart never made any such announcement,” spokesperson Tricia Moriarty told USA TODAY.
Fact check: Image of supposed Walmart post announcing return of 24-hour stores is fabricated
The company lowered the cost of thousands of products, more than one-third of which were food products, through its “rollbacks” in the summer of 2024. Walmart CEO Douglas McMillon, however, said the company still had “slight inflation” in its food category by the end of July 2024, USA TODAY reported.
Weeks after Trump’s election, Walmart suggested price increases could hit its customers even harder if Trump followed through on his pledge to increase tariffs, according to Reuters.
Though Trump pledged to bring down grocery prices during his campaign, he later said he “can’t guarantee” his proposed tariffs won’t lead to higher prices for Americans and that there could be “some pain” for Americans after ordering tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico.
Trump later announced deals had been made with both countries to delay the tariffs by 30 days as the nations made efforts to better secure their borders with the U.S.
USA TODAY previously debunked a false claim that several grocery store chains announced price decreases after Trump’s election win.
USA TODAY reached out to the user who shared the post for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
Lead Stories also debunked the claim.
Our fact-check sources
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Walmart, accessed Feb. 7, News
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Claim of cut to ‘pre-inflation’ rates at Walmart is false | Fact check
