Donald Trump dismissed current affordability concerns as a "hoax" orchestrated by Democrats, contrasting it with his "A-plus-plus-plus-plus-plus" economy, while the White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, defended his administration's economic record.Leavitt cited an eight-month average Consumer Price Index (CPI) of 2.5% during Trump's initial term, arguing inflation had slowed, despite economists and reporters like Kaitlan Collins pointing to a 3% year-over-year inflation rate in September and rising grocery prices.Critics including Joe Biden, Betsey Stevenson, and Bernie Sanders dispute these claims, highlighting that Trump's use of average figures and comparisons to Biden's peak inflation rates are misleading, with official data indicating persistent price increases.