Trump Pulls 'Bidenomics' Tic Tacs Shrinkage Lesson on Infantino During World Cup Draw

The Kennedy Centre's World Cup draw typically demands diplomatic decorum, yet Donald Trump seized the moment to turn the global event into a peculiar seminar on grocery pricing.

As proceedings wound down on Friday, the President bypassed talk of match schedules to offer FIFA President Gianni Infantino a visual demonstration involving breath mints. Rummaging through his suit pocket, Trump brought out two containers of Tic Tacs—a prop he has frequently utilised to critique the previous administration's economic record.

Trump's Visual Lesson on Economic Shrinkage

According to onlookers, the interaction was a direct critique of the economic landscape left by his predecessor. White House correspondent Danny De Urbina captured the moment on social media, noting the specific intent behind the gesture.

'President Trump just gave FIFA President Gianni Infantino a lesson in Bidenomics by showing him his two sizes of Tic Tacs he carries around with him at the World Cup Draw, before popping one himself,' De Urbina wrote.

The term 'Bidenomics' refers to the economic framework established by former President Joe Biden, a frequent target of Trump's ire. Trump's visual aid was meant to demonstrate 'shrinkflation'—the practice where manufacturers reduce the size or quantity of a product while maintaining the same price. By comparing a standard box to a smaller one, Trump attempted to show Infantino how the purchasing power of the American dollar had allegedly diminished, a phenomenon he squarely blames on the policies of the previous four years.

Recycling the 'Shrinkflation' Prop from Campaign Rallies

This was not the first time the president has relied on confectionery to explain complex macroeconomic trends. The Tic Tac comparison became a staple of his campaign rhetoric, designed to resonate with voters frustrated by the cost of living. During a rally in North Carolina last year, Trump used the same method to argue that inflation had 'been out of control for a long time.'

At that event, he theatrically produced the mints to provide a concrete example of market shifts. 'This is Tic Tacs, right?' he asked the crowd, displaying a standard pack. He then revealed a comically smaller container in his other hand to drive the point home. 'This is inflation, this is what's happened.'

By bringing this routine to the Kennedy Centre, Trump signalled that his focus remains locked on dismantling the economic narrative of the Biden era, even when surrounded by the global elite of the sporting world.

Dismissing Affordability Concerns as a Democratic 'Con Job'

Despite his focus on price hikes during the draw, Trump's rhetoric regarding the current economic climate has been contradictory. While he uses props to highlight past inflation, he has simultaneously downplayed the ongoing struggles Americans face regarding affordability. In a recent Cabinet meeting, he asserted, 'I inherited the worst inflation in history. There was no affordability. Nobody could afford anything.'

However, earlier this week, he dismissed the very concept of an affordability crisis as a fabrication. He labelled the issue a 'fake narrative' and a 'con job' engineered by political opponents. 'They just say the word,' Trump stated regarding Democrats. 'It doesn't mean anything to anybody. They just say it — affordability.'

This dismissal stands in stark contrast to his 2024 campaign promises, where he vowed to sign an executive order directing every cabinet member to 'use every tool and authority at their disposal to defeat inflation and to bring consumer prices rapidly down.'

The Administration's Outlook on Future Inflation

Trump continues to claim credit for stabilising the economy, even as data suggests that inflation has ticked up slightly in recent months—partially driven by his own tariff policies. He addressed these fluctuations on Tuesday, acknowledging that 'There is still more to do.'

Yet, in a twist that complicates his economic policy messaging, he warned against the dangers of prices dropping too low. 'There's always more to do, but we have it down to a very good level. It's going to go down a little bit further. You want to have a little tiny bit of inflation. Otherwise, that's not good either. Then you have a thing called deflation, and deflation can be worse than inflation.'