President Donald Trump reversed course on Walmart Monday, calling the retail giant patriotic after it agreed to lower prices on hundreds of products.
Trump posted on Truth Social that Walmart would be cutting prices “by a lot” at his administration’s request to celebrate the nation’s 250th anniversary.
“I have just been informed that one of the biggest, best, and smartest Retailers in America, Walmart, will be lowering prices, by a lot, at my Administration’s request to celebrate our great Country’s 250th birthday,” Trump wrote.
Trump specifically highlighted a reduction in ground beef prices, saying Walmart “will, in particular, be dropping the price for a pound of ground beef by almost 15%, among many other products.”
He added, “Walmart is stepping up in a big and bold way, and other Retailers should follow the lead of these absolute Patriots.”
The effusive praise marks a striking reversal from Trump’s posture toward Walmart just over a year ago, when he openly attacked the company over tariff-related price increases.
In May 2025, Trump demanded that Walmart absorb tariff costs rather than pass them to customers, telling the company to “EAT THE TARIFFS” in a widely circulated social media post.
Walmart’s chief financial officer, John David Rainey, had told CNBC at the time, “We’ve not seen a period where you’ve had prices go up this high this quickly.”
Walmart confirmed the price reductions after Trump’s post, though the company’s press release made no mention of Trump or the White House, instead framing cuts across “250 items” as a standalone initiative.
The retailer said the price of one pound of 73% ground beef roll would drop to $5.94 from $6.74 in its stores, a decline of roughly 12%, while Sam’s Club Member’s Mark 88/12 ground beef would fall to $5.97 per pound from $6.17.
Walmart also said it was cutting prices on Coca-Cola and PepsiCo sodas and chips, alongside thousands of other goods spanning groceries, household essentials, outdoor living, toys, and apparel.
The announcement lands against a difficult backdrop for American consumers, with inflation at a three-year high and affordability ranking as a top concern ahead of the 2026 midterms.
The national average price for 100% ground beef stood at $3.97 per pound in January 2021, climbed to $5.55 by January 2025, and reached $6.75 in May 2026.
That trajectory means ground beef has risen approximately 70% since the start of 2021, including a 22% increase since Trump returned to office in January 2025.
The May 2026 figure did represent a modest improvement from $6.90 in April 2026, but that month-over-month decline of roughly 2.2% falls well short of the sweeping reduction Trump’s post implied.
