Trump claims the media just ‘devised’ this word. It’s been used for 116 years
"They never used that word before," Trump claimed.
Ryan Cooper 
President Donald Trump took the stage in Las Vegas on Wednesday, where he once again sounded off on the issue of affordability. However, his remarks took an unexpected turn when he claimed the media had essentially invented the term itself.
A Claim Challenged by History
Speaking at the Red Rock Resort, Trump told the crowd: “Our costs are coming way down. You know, they talk about affordability. I took over the country. The prices were through the roof. In my first day, the press said, ‘What are you going to do about affordability?’ It was a word they devised — affordability. They never used that word before.”
The assertion comes as the president faces ongoing scrutiny regarding rising costs for household essentials, including gas and groceries—a situation Democrats have frequently labeled an affordability crisis. Trump has previously pushed back against this narrative, famously dismissing the concept as a Democrat scam.
Fact-Checking the President
Despite Trump’s claims, linguistic history tells a different story. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the noun “affordability” has been in use since 1910, having first appeared in the advertising magazine Printer’s Ink.
Critics were quick to jump on the factual inaccuracy. Journalist Michael McGough poked fun at the claim on X, noting, “Right after they invented the word ‘groceries,’” a nod to a previous instance where the president suggested he was responsible for coining a new word.
Others took a harsher tone regarding the president’s grasp of basic English. One user argued that the comments highlighted a “lack of comprehension of basic English words,” while another tweeted in disbelief over the president’s assertion.
