President Donald Trump's first year back in office has been an abject disaster.
Inflation remains stubbornly high, with the cost of groceries and housing continuing to put strain on American families—in large part thanks to Trump's idiotic tariffs.
Americans largely believe that Trump is focused on the wrong things, including his attempts to take over foreign countries and his violent immigration policies being carried out against residents of Minnesota.
Protesters hold signs that read,"Trump Must Go Now!" during a rally near the White House on Nov. 17, 2025.
What's more, by wide margins, Americans say that Trump has actually made all of the issues he promised to tackle worse since he was sworn in. He has increased political division, failed to rein in the cost of living, hampered democracy, and run an administration built on corruption, according to a poll from Navigator Research.
Because things are so awful, GOP lawmakers resorted to a coordinated campaign of gaslighting and outright lies to defend Dear Leader on the one-year anniversary of his inauguration.
From lying about inflation to claiming that the world is now safer—all while Trump is destroying the United States’ NATO alliances as he tries to take over Greenland—Republicans have gone out of their way to defend him.
This was on full display in this X thread from House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, who desperately tried to scrounge up any crumbs to make Trump look good.
Scalise wrote that Trump has ushered in “lower costs. Bigger paychecks. Real relief," saying that Trump "CRUSHED" inflation to 2.4%.
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise speaks while House Speaker Mike Johnson listens beside him.
In fact, inflation in December was at 2.7%, with prices on goods like meat, beverages, electricity, and rent all higher than that average. That's barely changed from December 2024, when inflation was at 2.9%.
Scalise also touted Trump's so-called "peace through strength" policies, saying that Trump is "rebuilding our defenses, confronting our adversaries, and securing peace through unmatched American STRENGTH.”
Of course, Trump's military actions are some of his least popular moves since taking office, with Americans despising his efforts to take over Greenland, invade Venezuela, and bomb Iran.
Then Scalise tried his hand at gaslighting, saying that Trump invested $50 billion in rural health care and put "patients first."
In fact, Trump and his "One Big, Beautiful Bill" massively slashed hundreds of billions from Medicaid, which is an existential threat to rural health care providers.
The $50 billion was a relief fund intended to keep rural health care providers from shuttering because of these devastating cuts. What's more, Trump allowed health care subsidies on which millions of Americans rely to expire, causing their health care costs to more than double.
Scalise went on to say, "Law and order is back. Criminals are being held accountable, gangs and cartels are being targeted, and our streets are safer.”
A cartoon by Pedro Molina.
That’s a bold statement given that Americans are seeing Immigration and Customs Enforcement goons violently brutalize U.S. citizens in Minneapolis—and they do not support it. Trump has also weaponized the Justice Department to prosecute his perceived enemies, and he’s pardoned fraudsters because they support him financially and politically.
Scalise also tried to claim that Trump has brought back "manufacturing, innovation, and jobs" to the United States, when in fact the opposite is true.
The job market is absolute shit, with job growth stagnant in Trump's first year and manufacturing jobs actually on the decline. Unemployment also now stands at 4.4%—that’s higher than the 4% when he took office.
Meanwhile, Trump's approval after his first year stands at an abysmal 40%, according to an average from FiftyPlusOne. And a plurality of Americans gave Trump an “F” for his first year, and they clearly want Democrats to control Congress after the 2026 midterms.
So Scalise and other Republicans can lie all they want about Trump's "accomplishments," but Americans certainly aren't buying it.
