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During the previous race for the White House, the former president wooed the electorate with pledges to lower costs starting on day one. But, after he assumed office, he seemed to pay minimal attention to the cost of living. All that changed following price-fatigued citizens expressed dissatisfaction at the ballot box. Within days, the Trump administration initiated a slapdash campaign to tackle living costs. Regrettably, the drive is a hot mess—filled with illogical claims, inconsistencies, unrealistic expectations, scapegoating, and Trumpian dishonesty.

Out-of-Touch Claims and Grocery Store Truth

Just two days after the election, the president kicked off his cost-reduction push with a disastrous statement: “Our groceries are way down. All items is way down… So I don’t want to hear about affordability.” This comment from billionaire Trump—who frequently mingles with other ultra-rich individuals—revealed a lack of empathy for everyday citizens who struggle when visiting the grocery store. In effect, he ignored their concerns as trivial, implying they had it wrong about price levels.

His assertion that everything was “way down” was absurdly obtuse and dishonest. In what way could every price be decreasing when his cherished tariffs were increasing costs? Official statistics indicate banana prices increased 6.9% in the last twelve months, the price of beef went up almost 15%, and coffee prices jumped 18.9%—partly due to punitive tariffs applied to Brazilian products. In the first three quarters, costs increased in the majority of main grocery groups tracked by the government’s price index, including meats, poultry, and fish (rising over 4%), drinks (increasing nearly 3%), and fruits and vegetables (rising slightly).

Inconsistencies and Falsehoods in Economic Claims

In spite of the evidence, the president persists in repeating his misleading narrative about affordability. Since election day, he has stated there is “almost no price increases,” declared “prices are way down,” and argued “living is cheaper under Trump than it was under his predecessor.” These statements ignore the fact that general costs have unarguably risen after the previous administration. Currently, price growth is running at a 3% annual rate, that’s half again as much than the central bank’s 2% goal. Adding to the inaccuracies, Trump claimed that fuel costs had dropped to around two dollars, despite government figures indicate they average $3.19.

Confronted by actual conditions and declining opinion polls, some Trump aides apparently warned that his “costs are falling” message portrayed him as disconnected from typical Americans. Many voters are angry about prices continuing to climb following promises of reductions. As a result, aides suggested a simple solution: roll back certain import taxes. This sensible idea clashed with Trump’s absurd assertion that additional taxes would not increase costs for US consumers.

Proposed Fixes and Their Potential Impact

With certain taxes reduced on several food items, Trump will probably announce that he has lowered costs once these products start declining in price. That would be similar to a firestarter taking credit for putting out a blaze that he ignited. In another instance, when addressing McDonald’s executives, Trump declared that “this is the golden age of America” and assured the audience that “costs are decreasing and all of that stuff.” Such statements are easy for a billionaire to make, but they ring hollow to countless households facing hardships—particularly when millions risk cuts to nutrition assistance or skyrocketing health premiums.

According to a recent poll from October, three-quarters of respondents think economic conditions are fair or poor, while only 26% consider them good or excellent. Another poll showed that 61% of Americans say the administration’s actions have “made the economy worse” in the country.

Economic Reality and Proposed Measures

Scott Bessent, the president’s top economic official, recently disputed claims of a prosperous era. He noted that far from booming, certain sectors of the American economy “are in recession.” The manufacturing sector—which Trump vowed to save—seems to have shrunk for multiple consecutive months and lost approximately 33,000 jobs since January. Citing these challenges, Bessent urged the Federal Reserve to reduce borrowing costs—a move that could ease financial pressure.

Reacting to public dismay about affordability, the president proposed a cash handout of “a dividend of at least $2,000 a person” not for “high income people.” For many struggling Americans, this sounds like a financial lifeline, but it is unlikely that Congress—already alarmed about huge budget deficits—will enact such a plan. The scheme could raise government expenditure, push up interest rates, and possibly drive prices higher by injecting cash into consumers’ pockets.

A further supposed fix for cost issues involved introducing 50-year mortgages, with the notion that they could lower housing costs. But, reality is that such lengthy loans have minimal impact to reduce installments—frequently reducing them by just $100 or $200 per month. The drawback is that these mortgages could significantly increase the overall cost homeowners pay and hinder their accumulation of equity.

Blaming the Previous Administration and Financial Outlook

As part of their affordability campaign, the administration have again blamed Biden for economic problems, such as increasing costs. Spokespeople claimed they “inherited a disaster from Joe Biden” and were “addressing the prior administration’s price hikes.” This is unfounded and inaccurate allegations. In reality, the former president left a strong economy, with low price growth, solid expansion, and unemployment low. But, the current administration’s actions—especially his tariffs—have created an economic mess, driving costs higher and slowing GDP growth.

Per an economist, chief economist at Moody’s Analytics, 22 states are experiencing economic decline, with their conditions worsened by Trump’s tariffs. Zandi worries that if large states such as California and New York enter a downturn, the US could slide into a broad economic slump. During recessions, people generally possess less money to spend, and inflation often falls. Unfortunately, given Trump’s much-ballyhooed affordability campaign likely to do little to control costs, his primary method for improving living standards might end up pushing the nation into recession—something that struggling Americans cannot handle.