Claims that are brazen are nothing new to Donald Trump. There is always something the President of the United States has planned, whether it is “fixing” the economy or handpicking the greatest words.
His most recent statement, however, may be the most perplexing one to yet.
Trump’s directive regarding US medicine costs
Standing tall in the Oval Office, Donald Trump described his administration’s intention to cut prescription medicine prices by up to 80% in order to bring them in line with European rates during a White House press conference this week.
As he ordered pharmaceutical companies to lower prices for American patients, Trump, 78, referred to it as “one of the most consequential” executive actions in American history.
It is anticipated that America would pay somewhat less, while the rest of the world will have to pay somewhat more. Once more, he explained, “because its population is smaller than the entire world.”
Then, however, came the moment that made everyone grab their dictionaries.
This means that we are essentially equalizing. “I think it’s the best word, and it’s a new one that I came up with,” Trump stated. “We’ll level the playing field. All of us will pay the same. We will pay the same amount that Europe will.
Hold on. Did he say that the phrase “equalizing” is new?
Historians and almost everyone who has ever read a book agree that the word “equalise” has been in use for millennia. figuratively. That is, before Trump Tower was ever built.
The definition of the “new” term
Tech and linguistics enthusiast Farrukh Younus added a brief reality check on TikTok, saying, “President Trump claims he coined the word equalise. In actuality, however, the word “equalise” was first used in English in the late 15th century, roughly between 1480 and 1500.
Even so, he explained it:
It is derived from the Late Latin term aequalizare, which means “to make equal.” Aequalis (equal) is the root of this word. Aequalis is the Latin root for equal. To make equal is the late Latin verb aequalizare. Adoption in England: around 1480–1500 as equals
Merriam-Webster claims that the term “equalizing” has been used since at least 1559, if that wasn’t enough. Furthermore, Trump isn’t that elderly.
“A television program from the 1980s…
Social media, of course, had a field day.
A user made a joke, saying, “I’m sure I’d heard that ‘equalise’ word before?
Another person added, a little nostalgic for the 1980s: “The Equalizer was a television program in the 1980s. Did he coin the term in 1983 and is only looking back?
That being said, Trump has attempted to establish himself as king of something before. He recently made a joke about wanting to be the next pope even sharing an artificial intelligence-generated photo of himself in full papal regalia.
He then denied making the picture, yet it somehow ended up on his official personal accounts.
It is unclear if Donald Trump will ever be recognized by a dictionary as the creator of the term equalizer, but let’s face it, in politics, weirder things have happened.
