Trump Invents a New Word — 'Probably the Best Word'

Donald Trump speaking at CPAC in Washington D.C. in 2011. Photo by Gage Skidmore under CC BY-SA 3.0.

In a moment that instantly ricocheted across social media and cable news chyrons, Donald Trump stood at a White House podium on May 19, waving a freshly signed executive order and declaring, "There's a new word that I came up with, which is probably the best word." That word? You might know it already.

The Claim Heard Round the Internet

"We're gonna equalize," Trump said, according to PEOPLE. "Where we're all gonna pay the same. We're gonna pay what Europe's gonna pay."

For the president, it was a linguistic eureka moment. For the rest of America, it was a head-scratcher — and, frankly, a meme goldmine. The only catch? The word he claimed to have just invented has been in the dictionary since the late 16th century.

A Presidential Vocabulary Like No Other

Trump's fascination with everyday language isn’t exactly new. In April, while delivering his now-infamous "Liberation Day" speech, he became infatuated with the word "groceries."

"It's such an old-fashioned term but a beautiful term: groceries," Trump mused, according to the Alabama Media Group. "It's a bag with a lot of different things in it."

These verbal detours have become part of the Trump brand — less gaffes than personality trademarks, equal parts folksy charm and theatrical confidence. But even for a president who gave us "covfefe" and once called Tim Cook "Tim Apple," declaring a centuries-old verb his own creation was a bold move, according to CNBC.

Equalizing the Playing Field — Or the Dictionary?

Context matters. The remark came as Trump signed an executive order demanding pharmaceutical companies lower prescription drug prices within 30 days or face federal price caps. The directive tasks Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. with enforcing the order if drugmakers don't comply.

"We're gonna equalize," Trump said, framing it as revolutionary policy and revolutionary language.

But equalize? That word has quite the résumé.

According to Merriam-Webster, "equalize" has been in print since at least 1599. It was even used by Trump himself during a March address to Congress, "Come on, let's equalize. You got to be equal to us," according to PEOPLE.

Twitter Has a Field Day

Once the sound bite hit social platforms, the internet predictably erupted. Some joked about what other "new words" Trump might invent next. Others posted tongue-in-cheek definitions of "equalize," as if rediscovering a long-lost relic from their SAT prep books.

And then came the deep cuts: actual screenshots of the word in classic literature, historical dictionaries, and even old campaign speeches from Trump himself.

Still, the former president — and current Oval Office occupant — stood firm. As he often has, Trump didn't walk the statement back. He didn’t clarify. He didn’t need to. In his world, saying it makes it so.

'Groceries,' 'Equalize,' and the Trump Lexicon

This isn't about vocabulary. It's about brand.

From the moment he descended that golden escalator in 2015, Donald Trump has operated less like a politician and more like a living media event. Language is one of his sharpest tools — not precision-crafted, but loud, memeable, and unmistakably his.

So, when Trump declares he invented the word "equalize," he's not issuing a linguistic update. He's staging a cultural moment.

And it works. The word trended. The speech went viral. Late-night hosts dove in. Think pieces bloomed across the internet.

The Meaning Behind the Moment

Beyond the jokes and headlines, there's a deeper takeaway: Trump understands the performance of politics better than most. To him, inventing a word isn't about grammar. It's about control.

By laying claim to the word "equalize," he repackaged complex pharmaceutical regulation into a digestible, sticky concept. One that fits neatly on a bumper sticker. One that feels powerful.

Even if it's 426 years old.

A President Who Rewrites the Script — Literally

This moment won't change policy. It won't rewrite dictionaries. But it will linger, like "covfefe" or "person, woman, man, camera, TV," according to the New York Times.

Because in Trump's world, the sound bite is the story. The story becomes the show. And the show is always on.

So, whether you laughed, rolled your eyes, or cracked open a thesaurus, you paid attention. And in 2025, that might just be the best word of all.

References: Trump Says He Just Invented a 'New Word' | Donald Trump claims he invented 'the best word' | 'Person. Woman. Man. Camera. TV.' Didn't Mean What Trump Hoped It Did | President Trump calls Apple CEO 'Tim Apple' instead of Tim Cook | What's a 'Covfefe'? Trump Tweet Unites a Bewildered Nation