Bold assertions are nothing new to Donald Trump. The president of the United States always has something up his sleeve, whether it’s “fixing” the economy or hand-picking the greatest phrases.
However, his most recent statement may be the most perplexing one to date.
Trump’s directive on medication costs in the US
Donald Trump stood tall in the Oval Office during a White House press conference this week, outlining his administration’s goal to cut prescription medicine prices by up to 80% in order to bring them in line with European prices.
The 78-year-old Trump ordered pharmaceutical companies to drop rates for American patients, calling it “one of the most consequential” executive decisions in American history.
America will pay far less, while the rest of the world will have to pay a little more. Once more, because its population is smaller than the entire world,” he stated.
However, the moment arrived when everyone reached for their dictionaries.
Therefore, we are essentially equalizing. I came up with a new term, and I believe it’s the greatest one,” Trump remarked. “We will equalize. Each of us will pay the same amount. We will pay what Europe will pay.
Wait. Was “equalizing” a new word, according to him?
The word “equalise” has been used for centuries, according to historians and almost everyone who has ever read a book. literally. In other words, long before Trump Tower was ever built.
What the “new” word means
Farrukh Younus, a tech and language enthusiast, posted a brief fact check on TikTok, saying, “President Trump claims he coined the word equalise. In contrast, the word “equalise” was originally used in English in the late 15th century, roughly between 1480 and 1500.
He even explained it as follows:
Its origin is the Late Latin term aequalizare, which is derived from aequalis (equal) and means “to make equal.” Aequalis, a Latin root, means equal. “Aequalizare” means “to make equal” in late Latin. Adoption in England: around 1480–1500 as equalization
As if that weren’t enough, according to Merriam-Webster, the term “equalizing” has been used since at least 1559. Trump isn’t that old, either.
In the 1980s, there was a television program.
Social media had a field day, of course.
“I’m sure I’d heard that ‘equalise’ word before?” jokingly said one user.
With a hint of nostalgia for the 1980s, another person added: “The Equalizer was a television program that aired in the 1980s. Is he simply looking back, or did he coin the term in 1983?
However, it should be noted that Trump has attempted to establish himself as the king of something before. He even shared an AI-generated photo of himself in full papal regalia after joking that he would like to become the next pope.
The photograph somehow ended up on his official personal accounts, even though he later denied making it.
It’s unclear if Donald Trump will ever be recognized by a dictionary for coining the term “equalizer,” but let’s face it, stranger things have happened in politics.