reality

Reality star hits back at troll who branded her chubby with defiant post about body positivity

A REALITY star just clapped back against trolls in the sassiest way, uplifting women of all shapes and sizes.

The former Love Triangle contestant, 29, has grown tired of trolls making unnecessary remarks about her weight.

Sadie stunned while clapping back at trolls on Instagram
The sassy star made haters feel dumb for calling her names
Fans loved the way she handled the hate

So she snipped out one of the nasty comments and posted a simple yet effective response – immediately shutting the troll down.

Sadie Bass got dolled up in a gorgeous forest green bodycon dress with a plunging neckline.

The darts at the waists cinched in her fabulous figure, while she confidently smiled her red lips towards the camera.

She finished the look off by curling her hair into a vintage-esque wave that flowed freely down her shoulders.

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“is this body CHUBBY or curvey… am confused,” said the rude comment Sadie pasted next to the clip of her in the stunning down.

But Sadie clapped back: “This body is *HOT I hope that clears up any confusion x” while mouthing along to Michael Jackson‘s Dirty Diana, flaunting her beauty.

As Sadie flipped her hair and modelled the dress to perfection during the clip, her fans couldn’t get enough.

“Damn straight,” said one user in the post’s comments on Instagram.

A second added: “Always sexy and beautiful xxx.”

A third empathised with Sadie’s feelings about women being labelled: “Beautiful!

“I had an ex who called me chunky and I was upset at the fact he even had to put a label on it.”

Captioned, “People’s obsession with categorising women’s body types is BORING. can we leave it in 2025 pls???”, fans adored Sadie’s striking between sass and profound messaging.

Sadie appeared on season two of the Channel 4 reality show Love Triangle.

It’s where she met her partner Danny, who she moved in with in the middle of last year.

Love Triangle sees six singletons (the pickers) who text two potential lovers and then have to pick one for a blind date.

Viewers watch contestants meet for the first time after exchanging flirty texts, before moving in together and learning more about one another.

Some of the couples on the show were introduced to a third person (Sadie, in Danny’s case).

At the end of the series the picker has to choose who they want to be with out of the love triangle.

Sadie radiates body confidenceCredit: Instagram
She used to be slimmer while on Love TriangleCredit: Tiktok
She met her boyfriend Danny on the since-axed reality programmeCredit: Tiktok

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Celtic 1-3 Rangers: ‘Haunted Nancy detached from reality as Celtic’s lights go out’

Rangers were far from great, but they were dogged and they hung in there and when their chances came they buried them. Youssef Chermiti, of all people, was the chief tormentor. In nine pulsating minutes he doubled his total for the season and wrote his name into a new kind of Rangers pantheon – from zero to hero.

Nancy spoke later and in trying to talk his way through the latest submission from his team he only reaffirmed his sense of distance from footballing reality.

He mentioned that Celtic “deserved more” than a 3-1 loss, when they didn’t. Not taking their chances when they had them was on Celtic, not anybody else. Deserve had nothing to do with it. It was the Celtic board who created a situation where their manager was left with scant options upfront. From meagre rations, he plumped for Johnny Kenny. It didn’t work out.

The Frenchman made some comments about the loss not being about players and tactics. “It’s about moments, it’s about details,” he said, as if moments and details exist in a parallel universe from players and managers.

“It’s not about myself,” he said. Well, it is, but to a point. It’s also about the players he has confused and bewildered with his ill-fitting shape and the ideology he refuses to alter no matter how befuddled things become.

On Friday, he made much of how difficult it’s been to introduce his system without a pre-season to bed-in his ideas. He didn’t have a pre-season to work with his players and he didn’t have a transfer window to bring in more players that could play his system. And yet he pressed on with the system regardless. Stubbornness? Arrogance? Naivety? All three at once?

Danny Rohl went into Rangers, surveyed what he had and got pragmatic. Like Nancy, he needs new players, too. Many of them. But he’s found a way to drag his team forward when his counterpart has only succeeded in taking his players backwards in the pursuit of something that only he can see.

The soft progress achieved under Martin O’Neill has been sacrificed on the altar of “process” and some self-regarding notion that Nancy is a visionary who’s building a footballing monument.

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Storm Francis weather warning hits Canary Islands but local shows the reality

A local in Lanzarote has been left confused by the weather warnings for Storm Francis, which is expected to bring strong gusts, heavy thunderstorms and even snow to the Canary Islands

Tourists planning trips to the Canary Islands have been cautioned about Storm Francis, which was forecast to bring powerful winds, torrential thunderstorms and even snowfall to the area.

However, one resident in Lanzarote has expressed bewilderment over these alerts. Mr Travelon has shared a TikTok video showing the actual conditions on the island at present.

Whilst there have been slightly breezy spells in the popular resort, the weather is far from the severe conditions anticipated. So the expat, filmed standing on the beach beneath clear blue skies, questioned: “Where’s this storm Francis? Because it hasn’t arrived yet in Lanzarote.”

The Lanzarote resident was sporting sunglasses while delivering his update. And despite wearing a fleece, he didn’t require a heavy winter coat.

His video went on: “It was meant to arrive New Year’s Day, we were meant to be seeing the new year in with a storm. Seas looking a little bit choppy, there’s a red flag up there saying ‘do not swim’ and I certainly wouldn’t be getting in that today. But is the storm here… it’s about 14 degrees!”

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The holidaymaker then swept his camera across the island, giving viewers a glimpse of the conditions on January 2. He went on: “It is definitely a little bit breezy and the sun is coming up just over there.

“The trees are blowing so we’ve definitely got some sort of medium storm on the way, but they did say it’s possibly going to pass quite quickly. Will it be a pool day today? I doubt it. But that dark cloud is looking like it might start raining.”

The climate in Lanzarote appears considerably more pleasant than what we’re currently experiencing back home in Britain – but that doesn’t mean it won’t change.

There remains a possibility the storm could arrive later today, so tourists are still being told to exercise caution over the next few days.

Consequently, Spain’s meteorological agency AEMET has urged travellers bound for the Canary Islands to stay informed about weather updates.

AEMET stated: “Due to the high level of uncertainty regarding the evolving situation and the potential impact on outdoor activities in the coming days, close monitoring of forecast updates is recommended.

“Today, Storm Francis is expected to affect the Canary Islands, bringing southwesterly winds to coastal areas with very strong gusts, as well as locally heavy and persistent thunderstorms that will move from west to east throughout the day and into the early hours of tomorrow.

“Strong winds will persist in exposed areas and mid-altitude zones until the middle of the 3rd. On the Iberian Peninsula, after a few days of relative stability with scattered showers in the Cantabrian region and the western third of the peninsula, increased instability is likely from the 3rd onwards in areas of the southern and southeastern thirds, with showers that could be locally heavy and persistent in areas of the Gulf of Cádiz, the Strait of Gibraltar, the Costa del Sol, and Cabo de La Nao.

“On the 4th and 5th, the potential interaction with the cold air mass could bring snowfall to mid- to low-lying elevations in the southeastern quadrant of the Iberian Peninsula, with the highest probability and accumulations expected in the eastern Iberian System, the eastern part of the southern plateau, the mountain ranges of the Valencian Community, and the area around the Baetic System. It is possible that snowfall will extend, with less intensity, to other areas of the Iberian System, the central peninsula, and the northeastern third of the peninsula. Additionally, snow showers are expected at mid-elevations in the Cantabrian area.

“From the 6th onwards, the most likely scenario is that precipitation will decrease in intensity and extent in southern areas, although it could still be locally heavy in the Strait of Gibraltar and Melilla, while snowfall will become restricted to mountainous areas, especially in the northern third of the peninsula.”

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The ferry route connecting Scotland to Europe that could finally become a reality in 2026

SCOTLAND could soon have its own direct link to Europe via ferry.

Plans have been in the works for years to connect Scotland to northern France and it’s set to become a reality in 2026.

The proposed route will connect a town in Fife, Scotland to the city of DunkirkCredit: Alamy
The route to France would be one of the longest in Europe taking around 20 hoursCredit: Alamy

Called ‘Project Brave’, the ferry route was first proposed in 2022 and was originally set to launch in spring 2025, but has faced delays due to a lack of funding.

The route is now being actively pursued once more and could be reintroduced as early as 2026 with the funding issue having now been resolved.

If it goes ahead, the service will link Rosyth, a town in Fife to Dunkirk in France.

If it goes ahead, the route would run three times a week and take 20 hours in total.

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Speaking in Westminster in November 2024, Scottish MP Graeme Downie proposed that £3 million in funding was needed to start up the service.

He said: “It is estimated the direct ferry link would initially carry 51,000 passengers a year, rising to 79,000, bringing an additional £11.5 million of spend to the Scottish economy.”

The new proposed route would become one of the longest ferry journeys in Europe.

But that title currently belongs to the service between Portsmouth to Bilbao in Spain, which lasts between 27 and 30 hours.

In the past, Scotland had a similar service between Rosyth and Zeebrugge which Belgium previously connected Scotland to Europe.

The overnight crossing took 17 hours and operated four times per week.

DFDS offers three routes from the UK to France – but these are from Dover and NewhavenCredit: Alamy

The route was discontinued in 2008, following six years of service.

It was reintroduced in 2009, but was pulled again in 2010 because of insufficient demand.

DFDS operates three main routes from the UK to France.

These are from Dover to Calais, Dover to Dunkirk and Newhaven to Dieppe.

Currently, there are no direct passenger ferries from Scotland to mainland Europe.

Other routes DFDS offers include those to the Channel Islands from southern England and the northernmost major ferry route from the UK from Newcastle to Amsterdam.

Another ferry route connects Essex to the Netherlands…

Elsewhere in the UK, Harwich, a seaside town in Essex, already has a direct ferry service to Europe.

Brits looking to head to the Netherlands will be excited to know about Harwich’s ferry link to the Hook of Holland.

With a journey time of roughly seven hours, many tourists opt for the sleeper service so they can arrive in Holland early in the morning.

From the Dutch ferry port, Rotterdam is 40 minutes away by car, while a drive to Amsterdam takes just over an hour.

Meanwhile, a new ferry route to ‘Maldives-style’ UK island loved by royals was scrapped last year.

Plus, find out if taking a ferry could save you money on your next holiday.

DFDS is set to launch a route between Scotland and France in the New YearCredit: Alamy

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Ducking, Bobbing, Weaving: Is This What People Want? : The electorate may be more focused on reality than some spin doctors think

Democratic presidential nominee Bill Clinton says he still plans to show up in East Lansing, Mich., next Tuesday. But if he does, it looks as if the Arkansas governor will be making a solo appearance rather than confronting President Bush face to face as the bipartisan Commission on Presidential Debates had hoped. The commission’s terms for debate have been rejected by the Bush campaign, forcing cancellation of next week’s encounter and quite possibly of the two others the commission has tried to arrange. Partisans can argue who gains from all this. What ought to be clear to everyone is that voters are the big losers.

The commission, headed by former Democratic Party chairman Paul G. Kirk Jr. and former Republican Party chairman Frank J. Fahrenkopf Jr., was formed in 1987 with the idea of taking all the partisan squabbling out of debate arrangements.

The commission proposed three 90-minute presidential debates and one debate between the vice presidential candidates, with questions put by a single moderator. Clinton accepted; Bush wants questions to be asked by a panel of journalists. That latter format allows–almost requires–shorter answers while cutting down on the opportunity for follow-up questions aimed at drawing out precise rather than general responses. By insisting on playing by its rules or refusing to play at all, the Bush camp is negating the bipartisan commission’s purpose.

FORUM OF IDEAS: Voters lose, because here for the first time in this campaign would have been a chance to gauge the candidates’ ideas for dealing with the nation’s problems through something other than carefully prepared formal statements or sound bites largely without content.

Here would have been a chance to see how well Bush and Clinton do on their feet, not just in brief responses and retorts, but in sustained exposition. Anyone who doubts that there is a public hunger for serious talk about serious problems, and a disgust with the glitz and sloganeering that most campaigning has become, is not reading the popular mood accurately.

Certainly Ross Perot sensed that hunger, which is why he encouraged a movement in his name, and certainly he senses it still, which is why as he told The Times this week he may reactivate his campaign. Perot’s biggest complaint is that neither Bush nor Clinton is talking about how he would control the swelling federal deficit, arguably the greatest drag on economic growth. He’s right; the candidates are ducking the issue, because if they were to take it on honestly they would be forced to speak about what is conventionally regarded as politically unspeakable. They would have to tell voters that the deficit can be controlled only by cutting spending, which means reducing a lot of government programs people cherish, or by increasing revenues, which means raising taxes. They won’t say that. Perot would, and in doing so he might just force Bush and Clinton finally to get specific about the deficit crisis.

TIME OF TWISTS: That would be one more twist in a campaign year that can already be seen as one of the most unusual in modern times. Two major developments are already apparent: the reshuffle facing Congress–especially the House, where come January as much as one-third of the membership may be new–and the large number of women who have entered contests for state and national offices and the large number who at this point stand a good chance at election in November. A record 11, for example, have already won primaries for Senate seats.

There will be no end to analyses about what it all means, but some preliminary judgments can be made right now. People seem increasingly to have gone from being cynical about the political process to being angry.

Incumbents are one evident target of this anger, while women candidates benefit because, among other reasons, many of them tend to be relatively new entrants into the political arena. It would be comforting to think that the shallowness and dishonesty of so much of what passes for political discourse have become no less a target of righteous public wrath. Certainly that would be one of the most positive things to take place in our political life in a very long time.

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EXCL Princess Andre reveals why mum Katie Price AND dad Peter haven’t watched her reality show

PRINCESS Andre has revealed that neither her mum, Katie Price, or her dad, Peter Andre, have watched her reality TV show.

The 18-year-old became a star in her own right earlier this year when ITV launched season one of The Princess Diaries, a fly-on-the-wall docuseries.

Princess Andre has revealed that neither her mum, Katie Price, or dad, Peter Andre, have watched her ITV series The Princess DiariesCredit: ITV
Peter, who Princess has a close bond with, appeared on the first season of the ITV showCredit: Getty
While Katie claimed she was shunned from the production and didn’t feature in itCredit: PA

And despite the show being a massive hit, Princess says her famous parents weren’t sitting down on the couch to give it a watch.

She told The Sun: “I actually don’t think either of my parents have watched the show.”

“I don’t think it’s my dad’s thing, it’s more, it’s a show for people my age to watch, I think,” explained Princess, who was speaking at the launch of 3D Refirm x Facebible in Windsor.

Exes Katie and Peter share Princess and her older brother Junior, 20. While Peter is also a dad to Theo, Amelia and Arabella, and Katie to Harvey, Jett and Bunny.

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Peter and his wife Emily were featured in the reality show, but Katie claimed she was shunned from the series.

While her parents may not have watched it, Princess admitted she’s seen plenty herself.

“I watched everything about five times!” she laughed.

The teenager continued: “Just to make sure everything is how I want it and to check everything.”

The Princess Diaries has been renewed for a second and third season already, with Princess admitting that she has been filming “every day” recently.

“I’ve finished for season two and then I’ve got season three to film. So, I’m really excited. I think people are going to love it,” she said.

A date for the show’s release has not yet been confirmed, with Princess simply telling fans last year: “See you in 2026”.

In a break from filming, Princess was speaking at The Fairmont in Windsor, where Dr Raj Arora was launching 3D refirm – non-surgical skin tightening procedures – at her clinic, Facebible.

The doctor is a close friend of Princess’s dad and stepmum, Emily Macdonagh, who were also in attendance at the event.

She is the first doctor to offer 3D refirm at a medical-grade in the UK, with the treatment now available to book at http://www.thefacebible.com.

Princess is currently filming for the second two seasons of her reality showCredit: Splash
Her brother, Junior, also features in the show as the pair’s close relationship is displayedCredit: Getty

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Trump’s economic claims collide with reality in a Pennsylvania city critical to the midterms

When Idalia Bisbal moved to this Pennsylvania city synonymous with America’s working class, she hoped for a cheaper, easier life than the one she was leaving behind in her hometown of New York City.

About three years later, she is deeply disappointed.

“It’s worse than ever,” said the 67-year-old retiree, who relies on Social Security, when asked about the economy. “The prices are high. Everything is going up. You can’t afford food because you can’t afford rent. Utilities are too high. Gas is too expensive. Everything is too expensive.”

Bisbal was sipping an afternoon coffee at the Hamilton Family Restaurant not long after Vice President JD Vance rallied Republicans in a nearby suburb. In the Trump administration’s second high-profile trip to Pennsylvania in a week, Vance acknowledged the affordability crisis, blamed it on the Biden administration and insisted better times were ahead. He later served food to men experiencing homelessness in Allentown.

The visit, on top of several recent speeches from President Trump, reflects an increasingly urgent White House effort to respond to the economic anxiety voiced by people across the country. Those worries are a vulnerability for Republicans in competitive congressional districts like the one that includes Allentown, which could decide control of the U.S. House in next year’s midterms.

But in confronting the challenge, there are risks of appearing out of touch.

Only 31% of U.S. adults now approve of how Trump is handling the economy, down from 40% in March, according to a poll from the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. Yet Trump has called affordability concerns a “hoax” and gave the economy under his administration a grade of “A+++++.” Vance reiterated that assessment during his rally, prompting Bisbal to scoff.

“In his world,” Bisbal, a self-described “straight-up Democrat,” responded. “In the rich man’s world. In our world, trust me, it’s not an ‘A.’ To me, it’s an ‘F,’ ‘F,’ ‘F,’ ‘F,’ ‘F,’ ‘F.’”

Agreement that prices are too high

With a population of roughly 125,000 people, Allentown anchors the Lehigh Valley, which is Pennsylvania’s third-largest metro area. In a dozen interviews last week with local officials, business leaders and residents of both parties, there was agreement on one thing: Prices are too high. Some pointed to gas prices while others said they felt the shock more at the grocery store or in their cost of healthcare or housing.

Few shared Trump’s unbridled boosterism about the economy.

Tony Iannelli, the president and CEO of the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce, called Trump’s grade a “stretch,” saying that “we have a strong economy but I think it’s not yet gone to the next stage of what I would call robust.”

Tom Groves, who started a health and benefits consulting firm more than two decades ago, said the economy was at a “B+,” as he blamed the Affordable Care Act, widely known as Obamacare, for contributing to higher health costs, and he noted stock and labor market volatility.

Joe Vichot, the chairman of the Lehigh County Republican Committee, referred to Trump’s grade as a “colloquialism.”

Far removed from Washington’s political theater, there was little consensus on who was responsible for the high prices or what should be done about it. There was, however, an acute sense of exhaustion at the seemingly endless political combat.

Pat Gallagher was finishing lunch a few booths down from Bisbal as she recalled meeting her late husband when they both worked at Bethlehem Steel, the manufacturing giant that closed in 2003.

Now retired, Gallagher too relies on Social Security benefits, and she lives with her daughter, which helps keep costs down. She said she noticed the rising price of groceries and was becoming exasperated with the political climate.

“I get so frustrated with hearing about the politics,” she said.

A front-row seat to politics

That feeling is understandable in a place that often gets a front-row seat to the national debate, whether it wants the view or not. Singer Billy Joel’s 1982 song “Allentown” helped elevate the city into the national consciousness, articulating simultaneous feelings of disillusionment and hope as factories closed.

In the decades since, Pennsylvania has become a must-win state in presidential politics and the backdrop for innumerable visits from candidates and the media. Trump and his Democratic rival in 2024, Kamala Harris, made several campaign swings through Allentown, with the then-vice president visiting the city on the eve of the election.

“Every race here, all the time,” Allentown’s mayor, Democrat Matt Tuerk, recalled of the frenzied race last year.

The pace of those visits — and the attention they garnered — has not faded from many minds. Some businesses and residents declined to talk last week when approached with questions about the economy or politics, recalling blowback from speaking in the past.

But as attention shifts to next year’s midterms, Allentown cannot escape its place as a political battleground.

Trump’s win last year helped lift other Republicans, such U.S. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, to victory. Mackenzie, who unseated a three-term Democrat, is now one of the most vulnerable Republicans in Congress. To win again, he must turn out the Republicans who voted in 2024 — many of whom were likely more energized by Trump’s candidacy — while appealing to independents.

Mackenzie’s balancing act was on display when he spoke to the party faithful Tuesday, bemoaning the “failures of Bidenomics” before Vance took the stage at the rally. A day later, the congressman was back in Washington, where he joined three other House Republicans to rebel against the party’s leadership and force a vote on extending Obamacare subsidies that expire at the end of the year.

Vichot, the local GOP chairman, called Mackenzie an “underdog” in his reelection bid and said the healthcare move was a signal to voters that he is “compassionate for the people who need those services.”

A swing to Trump in 2024

Lehigh County, home to Allentown and the most populous county in the congressional district, swung toward Trump last year. Harris’ nearly 2.7-percentage-point win in the county was the tightest margin for a Democratic presidential candidate since 2004. But Democrats are feeling confident after a strong performance in this fall’s elections, when they handily won a race for county executive.

Retaking the congressional seat is now a top priority for Democrats. Gov. Josh Shapiro, a Democrat who faces reelection next year and is a potential presidential contender in 2028, endorsed firefighter union head Bob Brooks last week in the May primary.

Democrats are just a few seats shy of regaining the House majority, and the first midterm after a presidential election historically favors the party that’s out of power. If the focus remains on the economy, Democrats are happy.

The Uline supplies distribution factory where Vance spoke, owned by a family that has made large donations to GOP causes, is a few miles from the Mack Trucks facility where staff was cut by about 200 employees this year. The company said that decision was driven in part by tariffs imposed by Trump. Shapiro eagerly pointed that out in responding to Vance’s visit.

But the image of Allentown as a purely manufacturing town is outdated. The downtown core is dotted by row homes, trendy hotels and a modern arena that is home to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms hockey team and hosts concerts by major artists. In recent years, Latinos have become a majority of the city’s population, driven by gains in the Puerto Rican, Mexican and Dominican communities.

“This is a place of rapid change,” said Tuerk, the city’s first Latino mayor. “It’s constantly changing ,and I think over the next three years until that next presidential election, we’re going to see a lot more change. It’s going to be an interesting ride.”

Sloan writes for the Associated Press.

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Contributor: Who can afford Trump’s economy? Americans are feeling Grinchy

The holidays have arrived once again. You know, that annual festival of goodwill, compulsory spending and the dawning realization that Santa and Satan are anagrams.

Even in the best of years, Americans stagger through this season feeling financially woozy. This year, however, the picture is bleaker. And a growing number of Americans are feeling Grinchy.

Unemployment is at a four-year high, with Heather Long, chief economist at Navy Federal Credit Union, declaring, “The U.S. economy is in a hiring recession.” And a new PBS News/NPR/Marist poll finds that 70% of Americans say “the cost of living in the area where they live is not very affordable or not affordable at all.”

Is help on the way? Not likely. Affordable Care Act subsidies are expiring, and — despite efforts to force a vote in the House — it’s highly likely that nothing will be done about this before the end of the year. This translates to ballooning health insurance bills for millions of Americans. I will be among those hit with a higher monthly premium, which gives me standing to complain.

President Trump, meanwhile, remains firmly committed to policies that will exacerbate the rising cost of getting by. Trump’s tariffs — unless blocked by the Supreme Court — will continue to raise prices. And when it comes to his immigration crackdown, Trump is apparently unmoved by the tiresome fact that when you “disappear” workers, prices tend to go up.

Taken together, the Trump agenda amounts to an ambitious effort to raise the cost of living without the benefit of improved living standards. But if your money comes from crypto or Wall Street investments, you’re doing better than ever!

For the rest of us, the only good news is this: Unlike every other Trump scandal, most voters actually seem to care about what’s happening to their pocketbooks.

Politico recently found that erstwhile Trump voters backed Democrats in the 2025 governor’s races in New Jersey and Virginia for the simple reason that things cost too much.

And Axios reports on a North Carolina focus group in which “11 of the 14 participants, all of whom backed Trump last November, said they now disapprove of his job performance. And 12 of the 14 say they’re more worried about the economy now than they were in January.”

Apparently, inflation is the ultimate reality check — which is horrible news for Republicans.

Trump’s great talent has always been the audacity to employ a “fake it ‘till you make it” con act to project just enough certainty to persuade the rest of us.

His latest (attempted) Jedi mind trick involves claiming prices are “coming down tremendously,” which is not supported by data or the lived experience of anyone who shops.

He also says inflation is “essentially gone,” which is true only if you define “gone” as “slowed its increase.”

Trump may dismiss the affordability crisis as a “hoax” and a “con job,” but voters persist in believing the grocery scanner.

In response, Trump has taken to warning us that falling prices could cause “deflation,” which he now says is even worse than inflation. He’s not wrong about the economic theory, but it hardly seems worth worrying about given that prices are not falling.

Apparently, economic subtlety is something you acquire only after winning the White House.

Naturally, Trump wants to blame Joe Biden, the guy who staggered out of office 11 months ago. And yes, pandemic disruptions and massive stimulus spending helped fuel inflation. But voters elected Trump to fix the problem, which he promised to do “on Day One.”

Lacking tangible results, Trump is reverting to what has always worked for him: the assumption that — if he confidently repeats it enough times — his version of reality will triumph over math.

The difficulty now is that positive thinking doesn’t swipe at the register.

You can lie about the size of your inauguration crowd — no normal person can measure it and nobody cares. But you cannot tell people standing in line at the grocery store that prices are falling when they are actively handing over more money.

Pretending everything is fine goes over even worse when a billionaire president throws Gatsby-themed parties, renovates the Lincoln Bedroom and builds a huge new ballroom at the White House. The optics are horrible, and there’s no doubt they are helping fuel the political backlash.

But the main problem is the main problem.

At the end of the day, the one thing voters really care about is their pocketbooks. No amount of spin or “manifesting” an alternate reality will change that.

Matt K. Lewis is the author of “Filthy Rich Politicians” and “Too Dumb to Fail.”

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