Just hours after claiming his administration had “the best financial numbers ever,” US President Donald Trump told reporters outside the White House on Sunday that America also had “the best poverty numbers ever” – a phrasing that stunned social media users.
Speaking ahead of a trip to Illinois to attend the 2026 Presidents Cup golf tournament at Medinah Country Club, the convicted felon said: “We have the best, uh, I guess you could say poverty. They talk about poverty.”
“We have the best poverty numbers ever recorded in our country’s history. In other words, there is less poverty today than at any time in our country’s history.”
It’s true that, according to U.S. Census Bureau data released earlier this month, the poverty rate fell to a historic low of 10.2 percent last year, but State line Reports indicate that experts cautioned that the statistic “does not reflect the effects of new federal policy changes that will hit households hard this year” – such as cuts to Medicaid and food assistance.
“The main problem for most people will be the fact that prices and inflation outpace wage growth, which obviously leads to lower real incomes for some people,” Steven Durlauf of the University of Chicago told the outlet.
But on X/Twitter, it was the way Trump cited this particular statistic that sparked ridicule and concern:
“He’s so stupid,” one user wrote:
Another account joked: “Trump: ‘We all have poor people. The best poor people. Living in boxes, eating powdered milk and tuna. Vote Republican!”:
A third wrote: “Nothing reflects American politics better than a billionaire standing in front of his mansion telling everyone ‘we have the best poverty’:
Progressive tweeter Lucas Sanders asked: “The best poverty? »:
And political commentator Jo Carducci asked: “Remember when we didn’t have a fucking brainless idiot for a so-called president? »:
This isn’t the only boast from a member of the Trump administration to draw criticism in recent days, as FBI Director Kash Patel was mocked by X/Twitter users for celebrating a number of phone calls as part of his job.
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