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During the previous presidential campaign, the former president courted voters with pledges to lower prices starting on day one. But, once he assumed office, he seemed to pay precious little attention to the cost of living. All that changed after price-fatigued voters expressed dissatisfaction at the ballot box. Shortly thereafter, the Trump administration launched a slapdash effort to address living costs. Regrettably, the drive has proven a hot mess—filled with illogical claims, contradictions, magical thinking, scapegoating, and Trumpian dishonesty.

Out-of-Touch Claims and Grocery Store Truth

Merely 48 hours after the election, the president kicked off his cost-reduction push with a disastrous statement: “Food prices are way down. Everything is way down… So I don’t want to hear about the cost of living.” These words from billionaire Trump—who frequently associates with other ultra-rich individuals—demonstrated a lack of empathy for everyday citizens facing difficulties every time they go supermarkets. Essentially, he dismissed their concerns as trivial, implying they had it wrong about price levels.

This statement about declining prices was highly misleading and dishonest. In what way could every price be decreasing when his cherished tariffs were increasing costs? Recent data show the cost of bananas rose nearly 7% in the last twelve months, the price of beef went up 14.7%, and the cost of coffee surged 18.9%—in part because of punitive tariffs on Brazil’s coffee and beef. In the first three quarters, costs increased in the majority of main grocery groups monitored by the Consumer Price Index, including animal proteins (rising over 4%), non-alcoholic beverages (up 2.8%), and fruits and vegetables (rising slightly).

Inconsistencies and Falsehoods in Economic Claims

Despite the evidence, Trump persists in repeating his big lie about lower costs. After the vote, he has claimed there is “almost no price increases,” insisted “costs have fallen significantly,” and asserted “it is far less expensive under Trump than it was under his predecessor.” Such remarks ignore the reality that prices overall have unarguably risen since Biden left office. At present, price growth is running at a 3 percent per year, which is half again as much than the Federal Reserve’s target of 2 percent. In another falsehood, he boasted that fuel costs had fallen to around two dollars, despite official data show they are $3.19.

Confronted by reality and lower approval ratings, advisers evidently warned that his “costs are falling” rhetoric portrayed him as disconnected from typical Americans. Many citizens are angry about rising costs following promises of reductions. In response, aides proposed one quick fix: roll back certain import taxes. The logical move contradicted Trump’s absurd assertion that new tariffs would not increase costs for US consumers.

Suggested Fixes and Their Potential Effects

With some tariffs being rolled back on coffee, beef, tomatoes, and bananas, the administration will likely announce that he has lowered costs once these products begin to fall in price. This would be like an arsonist taking credit for putting out a fire that he had started. In another instance, when addressing fast-food leaders, he declared that “we are in the peak period of America” and told listeners that “prices are coming down and all of that stuff.” Such statements are easy for a billionaire to make, but they ring hollow to countless households who are struggling—particularly when millions face cuts to nutrition assistance or rising insurance costs.

According to a survey from October, three-quarters of respondents think the state of the economy are mediocre or bad, while just a quarter rate them positive. Another poll showed that a majority of citizens feel Trump’s policies have “worsened economic conditions” in the country.

Economic Truth and Proposed Steps

Scott Bessent, Trump’s chief financial officer, recently disputed claims of a golden age. He stated that instead of thriving, certain sectors of the US economy “are in recession.” The manufacturing sector—which Trump vowed to save—appears to have contracted for multiple consecutive months and lost around 33,000 jobs this year. Pointing to these challenges, the secretary urged the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates—an action that could ease financial pressure.

In response to widespread concern about affordability, Trump suggested a direct payment of “a payout of at least $2,000 a person” not for “high income people.” To numerous households in need, it seems like a financial lifeline, but it is unlikely that Congress—already alarmed about huge budget deficits—will approve the proposal. This idea could raise government expenditure, increase borrowing costs, and potentially drive prices higher by putting more money into the economy.

Another proposed solution for affordability involved introducing half-century home loans, with the notion that this would lower housing costs. But, reality is that such lengthy loans have minimal impact to lower monthly payments—often reducing them by a small amount each month. The drawback is that these loans could significantly increase the overall cost homeowners pay and hinder their accumulation of equity.

Blaming the Past Government and Financial Outlook

In their cost-cutting effort, the administration have once more pointed fingers at Biden for economic problems, including increasing costs. Spokespeople stated they “inherited a disaster from Joe Biden” and were “cleaning up the prior administration’s price hikes.” These are absurd and inaccurate claims. In reality, Biden handed over a robust economic situation, with inflation way down, economic growth strong, and unemployment low. However, Trump’s policies—particularly import taxes—have created an economic mess, driving costs higher and slowing GDP growth.

Per an economist, chief economist at Moody’s Analytics, numerous regions are already in recession, with their economies damaged by the administration’s trade policies. Zandi fears that if key regions such as California and New York enter a downturn, the nation could slide into a broad economic slump. During recessions, consumers generally possess reduced funds to spend, and inflation usually declines. Sadly, with the highly-touted affordability campaign likely to do little to control costs, his primary method for achieving increased affordability might prove to be triggering an economic contraction—a scenario that struggling Americans really can’t afford.