Recently, former President Donald Trump has reiterated his argument that the cost of Thanksgiving meals is lower under his administration than it is today under President Joe Biden. But is that really the truth?
During a press conference last week at Palm Beach International Airport before hopping onto Air Force One, Trump made a bold statement. He suggested that pre-packaged Thanksgiving dinners at Walmart are significantly cheaper this year. “If you go to Walmart and other retailers, you’ll find it’s about 25% less for Thanksgiving meals compared to the Biden administration. That’s a big fact!” he remarked.
This isn’t the first time Trump has discussed Thanksgiving prices recently. On November 6, he shared a post on Truth Social, declaring that Thanksgiving dinner this year is more affordable than it was last year.
He wrote, “The 2025 Thanksgiving dinner costs 25% less than last year’s 2024 dinner according to Walmart. My costs are lower than the Democrats on everything, especially oil and gas! So the ‘affordability’ issue from the Democrats is DEAD! STOP LYING!”
The next day, during an appearance with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, Trump reiterated Walmart’s claim that their Thanksgiving meals are 25% cheaper this year.
However, his claims might not tell the complete story. Even though Walmart’s basket for 2025 does indeed cost about 25% less than the one from 2024, there’s an important reason for this: it offers fewer items and different product selections, contributing to the perceived decrease in cost.
This year’s meal deal is priced below $40 and is meant to feed ten people—averaging around $4 per person. In contrast, last year’s basket was designed for eight people and cost approximately $56, translating to nearly $7 per person.
So yes, there’s a 25% decrease, but it could vary due to price fluctuations. In a recent LinkedIn post, John Furner, Walmart’s U.S. president and CEO, highlighted these savings.
This year’s Thanksgiving meal basket from Walmart consists of 15 items—six fewer than last year’s 21. If you consider individual products, there are 22 items this year compared to 29 last year.
Moreover, the “Great Value” brand makes up a larger share of this year’s offerings, while last year’s basket included more name-brand products.
Notably, many desserts and sides have been cut from this year’s selection. This includes treats like pecan pie and mini marshmallows, as well as vegetables like sweet potatoes and celery.
Additionally, a press release from the White House on November 6 referenced lower Thanksgiving prices being offered at retailers such as Lidl, Aldi, Target, and Schnucks.
At Target, a meal crafted for four costs less than $20, which is comparable to last year’s price. Some substitutions are present though; for example, green beans and cream of mushroom soup have been swapped for frozen corn and French bread.
According to the AP, Schnucks announced it’s providing its customers with the lowest prices on frozen store-brand turkeys in over 15 years. Lidl US also mentioned it’s offering its Thanksgiving meal at the lowest price ever, and Aldi stated its costs for this year have decreased compared to 2024.
