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Throughout the previous presidential campaign, the former president wooed voters with pledges to lower costs starting on day one. But, after his inauguration, there was precious little focus to the cost of living. This shifted after inflation-weary voters expressed dissatisfaction at the polls. Within days, his team launched a hastily assembled campaign to tackle living costs. Unfortunately, the drive has proven a hot mess—filled with illogical claims, inconsistencies, magical thinking, scapegoating, and Trumpian dishonesty.

Detached Assertions and Supermarket Reality

Just two days after the election, Trump began his cost-reduction push with a poorly received remark: “Our groceries are way down. All items is way down… So I don’t want to hear about affordability.” These words from billionaire Trump—often mingles with other ultra-rich individuals—demonstrated a lack of empathy for everyday citizens who struggle every time they go supermarkets. Essentially, he dismissed their concerns as unimportant, implying they were mistaken about actual costs.

His assertion that everything was “way down” proved highly misleading and dishonest. In what way could every price be decreasing when the taxes he imposed were pushing up prices? Recent data indicate the cost of bananas rose 6.9% over the past year, beef prices went up almost 15%, and coffee prices surged by nearly 19%—partly because of import taxes on Brazil’s coffee and beef. In the first three quarters, prices rose in five of the six food categories tracked by the government’s price index, such as animal proteins (rising over 4%), drinks (increasing nearly 3%), and fruits and vegetables (rising slightly).

Inconsistencies and Falsehoods in Economic Claims

In spite of the evidence, Trump continues to push his misleading narrative about affordability. After the vote, he has stated there is “almost no price increases,” insisted “costs have fallen significantly,” and argued “it is far less expensive under Trump than it was under sleepy Joe Biden.” Such remarks ignore the fact that prices overall have unarguably risen since Biden left office. At present, inflation is running at a 3% annual rate, which is 50% higher than the Federal Reserve’s target of 2 percent. In another falsehood, Trump boasted that gas prices had dropped to around two dollars, despite official data show they are $3.19.

Confronted by reality and lower approval ratings, advisers evidently cautioned that his “prices are down” rhetoric made him sound dangerously out of touch from typical Americans. Many voters are frustrated about rising costs after assurances of decreases. As a result, aides suggested a simple solution: reduce certain import taxes. This sensible idea clashed with the president’s unrealistic claim that additional taxes wouldn’t raise prices for American shoppers.

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 cut prices once those foods begin to fall in price. That would be like an arsonist boasting for extinguishing a blaze that he had started. On another occasion, while speaking fast-food leaders, he stated that “this is the golden age of America” and assured listeners that “prices are coming down and all of that stuff.” Such statements are easy for a wealthy individual to make, but seem insincere to countless households who are struggling—especially when millions risk cuts to nutrition assistance or rising insurance costs.

According to a survey conducted last fall, three-quarters of respondents think the state of the economy are mediocre or bad, while only 26% consider them positive. A separate survey found that a majority of citizens say Trump’s policies have “worsened economic conditions” in the country.

Financial Reality and Suggested Steps

The treasury secretary, Trump’s chief financial officer, recently contradicted claims of a golden age. He stated that far from booming, certain sectors of the American economy “are in recession.” The manufacturing sector—which Trump vowed to save—appears to have contracted for multiple consecutive months and shed approximately tens of thousands of positions since January. Citing these challenges, the secretary urged the central bank to cut interest rates—a move that could help affordability.

In response to public dismay about living costs, Trump proposed a direct payment of “a dividend of at least $2,000 a person” not for “the wealthy.” For many struggling Americans, it seems like a financial lifeline, but the prospects are dim that Congress—already alarmed about huge budget deficits—will approve such a plan. The scheme could raise government expenditure, push up borrowing costs, and potentially fuel inflation by putting more money into consumers’ pockets.

Another supposed fix for cost issues centered on creating 50-year mortgages, based on the idea that this would lower housing costs. However, reality is that such lengthy loans would do little to lower monthly payments—often reducing them by just $100 or $200 per month. The drawback is that these mortgages could significantly increase the overall cost borrowers pay and slow their accumulation of equity.

Blaming the Previous Administration and Economic Outlook

As part of their affordability campaign, the administration have once more blamed the previous president for financial challenges, including rising prices. Spokespeople claimed they “inherited a disaster from Joe Biden” and were “addressing Biden’s inflation.” This is absurd and inaccurate claims. Actually, the former president left a robust economic situation, with inflation way down, solid expansion, and unemployment low. However, Trump’s policies—particularly his tariffs—have created an difficult situation, driving costs higher and slowing GDP growth.

Per an economist, lead analyst at Moody’s Analytics, 22 states are already in recession, with their economies damaged by Trump’s tariffs. Zandi worries that if key regions such as California and New York tumble into recession, the US could slide into a broad economic slump. During recessions, consumers typically have reduced funds to spend, and inflation usually declines. Sadly, given the highly-touted affordability campaign likely to do little to hold down prices, his most effective “tool” for achieving increased affordability might end up triggering an economic contraction—something that hard-pressed households really can’t afford.