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During the previous race for the White House, the former president wooed the electorate with pledges to lower prices starting on day one. However, once his inauguration, he seemed to pay precious little attention to affordability issues. All that changed after inflation-weary voters delivered a rebuke at the polls. Shortly thereafter, the Trump administration initiated a hastily assembled campaign to tackle living costs. Regrettably, the drive is a disorganized endeavor—characterized by absurdity, inconsistencies, magical thinking, blame-shifting, and misleading statements.

Out-of-Touch Assertions and Supermarket Reality

Just two days post-election, the president kicked off his cost-reduction push with a poorly received statement: “Our groceries are way down. All items is way down… So I don’t want to hear about affordability.” This comment from the wealthy leader—often mingles with other ultra-rich individuals—demonstrated utter contempt for everyday citizens who struggle every time they go supermarkets. In effect, he ignored their struggles as trivial, implying they were mistaken about price levels.

This statement that everything was “way down” proved absurdly obtuse and dishonest. How could all costs be falling when his cherished tariffs were pushing up costs? Official statistics indicate the cost of bananas rose 6.9% over the past year, beef prices went up almost 15%, and the cost of coffee jumped 18.9%—in part because of punitive tariffs on Brazil’s coffee and beef. Between January and September, prices rose in five of the six food categories tracked by the government’s price index, such as meats, poultry, and fish (up 4.5%), drinks (increasing nearly 3%), and produce (up 1.3%).

Contradictions and Inaccuracies in Financial Claims

Despite these numbers, the president persists in repeating his misleading narrative about affordability. Since election day, he has claimed there is “almost no price increases,” insisted “prices are way down,” and argued “it is far less expensive under Trump than it was under his predecessor.” Such remarks contradict the reality that prices overall have clearly increased after the previous administration. Currently, inflation is running at a 3 percent per year, which is 50% higher than the Federal Reserve’s target of 2 percent. Adding to the inaccuracies, Trump claimed that gas prices had dropped to around two dollars, even though official data indicate they are $3.19.

Faced with reality and lower approval ratings, advisers evidently warned that his “prices are down” rhetoric made him sound dangerously out of touch from ordinary people. A lot of voters are angry about prices continuing to climb following assurances of reductions. As a result, aides suggested a simple solution: roll back certain import taxes. This sensible idea contradicted Trump’s absurd assertion that additional taxes wouldn’t raise prices for American shoppers.

Suggested Fixes and Their Potential Impact

With some tariffs being rolled back on coffee, beef, tomatoes, and bananas, Trump will probably claim that he has lowered costs once these products begin to fall in price. That would be like an arsonist taking credit for putting out a fire that he had started. In another instance, while speaking fast-food leaders, Trump stated that “this is the peak period of America” and told the audience that “costs are decreasing and all of that stuff.” Such statements are easy for a billionaire to make, but seem insincere to countless households who are struggling—particularly when many face cuts to nutrition assistance or rising insurance costs.

Per a recent poll from October, 74% of Americans think economic conditions are fair or poor, while just a quarter rate them positive. A separate survey found that 61% of Americans feel Trump’s policies have “made the economy worse” in the country.

Economic Truth and Proposed Steps

Scott Bessent, the president’s top economic official, lately disputed claims of a golden age. He noted that far from booming, certain sectors of the US economy “have contracted.” The manufacturing sector—which Trump vowed to save—appears to have contracted for multiple consecutive months and shed approximately 33,000 jobs since January. Citing these challenges, the secretary called on the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates—an action that could help affordability.

In response to widespread concern about living costs, Trump proposed a cash handout of “a dividend of at least $2,000 a person” excluding “the wealthy.” For many households in need, this sounds like a financial lifeline, but it is unlikely that Congress—concerned about huge budget deficits—will approve such a plan. This idea could increase federal spending, push up borrowing costs, and potentially fuel inflation by injecting cash into the economy.

Another supposed fix for affordability involved introducing half-century home loans, with the notion that they could reduce monthly mortgage payments. However, the truth is that 50-year mortgages have minimal impact to reduce installments—often cutting them by just $100 or $200 each month. The downside is that these mortgages could significantly increase the total interest borrowers pay and slow building home value.

Faulting the Previous Administration and Economic Outlook

As part of their cost-cutting effort, the administration have once more pointed fingers at the previous president for financial challenges, such as rising prices. Spokespeople stated they “faced a mess from Joe Biden” and were “addressing Biden’s inflation.” This is absurd and inaccurate allegations. In reality, Biden handed over a robust economic situation, with low price growth, economic growth strong, and minimal joblessness. However, Trump’s policies—especially import taxes—have created an economic mess, driving costs higher and reducing economic output.

Per Mark Zandi, lead analyst at Moody’s Analytics, numerous regions are experiencing economic decline, with their conditions worsened by Trump’s tariffs. He fears that if large states such as major economies tumble into recession, the US could face a widespread recession. During recessions, consumers typically have less money to spend, and inflation usually declines. Sadly, given Trump’s much-ballyhooed cost initiative probably ineffective to control costs, his primary method for improving living standards might end up triggering an economic contraction—something that hard-pressed households cannot handle.