Rubbish Check
CBS MoneyWatch · October 14, 2026
source“‘Trump insists inflation is low as CPI report shows a 3.7% increase’”
R2/ 10
Lightly altered
Rubbish Rating — 1 = base fact, 10 = pure rubbish
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In short
Rubbish Talk rates CBS MoneyWatch's claim that Trump calls inflation "low" against a 3.7% CPI reading a 2/10, because the September print came in hotter than forecast and accelerated from the prior month, making "insists" an accurate, not loaded, verb choice.
The Verdict
Lightly altered. The headline states a real, hotter-than-expected number and accurately frames Trump's comments as a claim at odds with it; the only editorial fingerprint is the verb "insists," which implies pushback, but that pushback is earned by the data itself.
What actually happened
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported the Consumer Price Index for September, and the consumer price index increased 0.6 percent last month and was up 3.7 percent relative to September 2025. That marked an increase from August, when annual inflation sat at 3.4 percent, and the increase came in hotter than the 3.6 percent economists had expected. President Trump, per the CBS clip, downplayed the numbers despite the upside surprise.
Key facts
- Headline CPI: up 3.7 percent year-over-year, up 0.6 percent month-over-month.
- Prior reading: August's annual rate was 3.4 percent.
- Forecast miss: economists had expected a 3.6 percent annual rate.
- Core CPI (ex-food/energy): rose 0.3% month over month, up 2.6% year over year, faster than the 2.4% rise the month prior.
- Driver: gasoline prices rose 9.1% in September, accounting for over half of the monthly all-items increase.
- Wages vs. prices: average hourly earnings rose an anemic 0.1% month over month and are up 3% year over year, trailing the 3.7% CPI print.
What to watch for
Watch whether the Fed's late-October meeting references this print as justification for a rate move, and whether gasoline's 9.1% monthly spike reverses or compounds in the October report. Also watch if coverage keeps citing the "low" claim without the forecast-miss context that makes it indefensible.
About this scoreThe R-Score is Rubbish Talk's editorial opinion on how far a headline's framing sits from what the underlying facts support. It is a judgement about presentation and emphasis, not an allegation that any outlet has acted dishonestly. Every figure we rely on is linked under Receipts so you can check it yourself.
