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Throughout last year's presidential campaign, Donald Trump courted voters with promises to reduce prices starting on day one. But, after his inauguration, he seemed to pay precious little focus to the cost of living. All that changed following inflation-weary voters delivered a rebuke at the polls. Shortly thereafter, the Trump administration initiated a hastily assembled effort to tackle affordability. Unfortunately, the drive is a disorganized endeavor—filled with illogical claims, inconsistencies, unrealistic expectations, blame-shifting, and Trumpian dishonesty.

Detached Claims and Supermarket Truth

Merely 48 hours after the election, the president began his cost-reduction push with a poorly received statement: “Our groceries are way down. Everything is way down… So I don’t want to hear about the cost of living.” These words from the wealthy leader—who frequently mingles with fellow billionaires—revealed utter contempt for millions of Americans facing difficulties when visiting supermarkets. Essentially, he ignored their struggles as unimportant, implying they were mistaken about actual costs.

This statement that everything was “way down” proved absurdly obtuse and dishonest. How could every price be falling when the taxes he imposed were increasing prices? Recent data indicate the cost of bananas increased nearly 7% over the past year, beef prices went up 14.7%, and the cost of coffee jumped 18.9%—partly because of import taxes on Brazil’s coffee and beef. Between January and September, costs increased in the majority of main grocery groups monitored by the Consumer Price Index, such as animal proteins (up 4.5%), non-alcoholic beverages (increasing nearly 3%), and fruits and vegetables (rising slightly).

Inconsistencies and Falsehoods in Financial Claims

In spite of these numbers, the president persists in repeating his misleading narrative about lower costs. After the vote, he has claimed there is “almost no price increases,” insisted “costs have fallen significantly,” and asserted “living is cheaper under Trump than it was under sleepy Joe Biden.” These statements ignore the fact that prices overall have clearly increased since Biden left office. Currently, inflation is running at a 3% annual rate, that’s 50% higher than the Federal Reserve’s 2% goal. Adding to the inaccuracies, he boasted that gas prices had dropped to nearly $2 a gallon, even though government figures indicate they average $3.19.

Confronted by actual conditions and lower approval ratings, some Trump aides evidently warned that his “costs are falling” rhetoric made him sound disconnected from ordinary people. Many citizens are angry about prices continuing to climb following assurances of reductions. In response, advisers suggested a simple solution: roll back some of Trump’s beloved tariffs. The logical move clashed with Trump’s absurd assertion that new tariffs would not increase costs for American shoppers.

Suggested Fixes and Their Potential Impact

With some tariffs reduced on several food items, Trump will likely claim that he has cut prices once those foods start declining in price. That would be similar to a firestarter taking credit for extinguishing a fire that he had started. In another instance, while speaking fast-food leaders, Trump stated that “we are in the golden age of America” and assured the audience that “costs are decreasing and all of that stuff.” These comments are easy for a wealthy individual to make, but they ring hollow to millions of Americans who are struggling—especially when millions face cuts to nutrition assistance or skyrocketing health premiums.

According to a survey from October, 74% of Americans believe the state of the economy are mediocre or bad, while just a quarter consider them positive. Another poll found that 61% of Americans say Trump’s policies have “worsened economic conditions” in the country.

Financial Reality and Suggested Measures

The treasury secretary, the president’s chief financial officer, recently disputed assertions of a prosperous era. He stated that instead of thriving, some parts of the American economy “are in recession.” Industrial production—which Trump vowed to save—seems to have shrunk for eight months in a row and shed approximately 33,000 jobs since January. Pointing to these challenges, Bessent urged the central bank to reduce borrowing costs—an action that could ease financial pressure.

Reacting to public dismay about affordability, Trump proposed a cash handout of “a dividend of at least $2,000 a person” excluding “the wealthy.” To numerous households in need, it seems like a financial lifeline, but it is unlikely that Congress—concerned about large shortfalls—will enact the proposal. The scheme would likely increase federal spending, push up borrowing costs, and possibly drive prices higher by injecting cash into the economy.

A further proposed solution for affordability centered on creating 50-year mortgages, based on the idea that this would lower housing costs. But, reality is that such lengthy loans have minimal impact to reduce installments—frequently cutting them by just $100 or $200 each month. The drawback is that these loans could more than double the overall cost borrowers pay and hinder building home value.

Faulting the Previous Administration and Financial Outlook

As part of their affordability campaign, the administration have once more blamed the previous president for financial challenges, including increasing costs. Officials stated they “inherited a disaster from Joe Biden” and were “addressing the prior administration’s price hikes.” This is unfounded and inaccurate allegations. Actually, the former president left a robust economic situation, with low price growth, solid expansion, and unemployment low. But, Trump’s policies—especially his tariffs—have resulted in an economic mess, driving costs higher and slowing GDP growth.

According to Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Analytics, 22 states are already in recession, with their conditions worsened by Trump’s tariffs. Zandi fears that if large states like major economies tumble into recession, the US could face a broad economic slump. In downturns, people typically have less money to spend, and inflation often falls. Unfortunately, given Trump’s much-ballyhooed affordability campaign probably ineffective to hold down prices, his most effective “tool” for achieving increased affordability might prove to be triggering an economic contraction—something that struggling Americans cannot handle.