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Throughout the previous race for the White House, Donald Trump wooed the electorate with promises to reduce prices starting on day one. However, once he assumed office, there was precious little focus to the cost of living. This shifted after price-fatigued citizens expressed dissatisfaction at the polls. Within days, his team launched a slapdash campaign to address living costs. Unfortunately, the drive has proven a disorganized endeavor—filled with absurdity, inconsistencies, magical thinking, scapegoating, and misleading statements.

Detached Assertions and Supermarket Reality

Just two days post-election, the president began 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 the cost of living.” This comment from the wealthy leader—who frequently mingles with fellow billionaires—revealed a lack of empathy for millions of Americans who struggle when visiting the grocery store. Essentially, he dismissed their concerns as unimportant, implying they were mistaken about price levels.

This statement about declining prices proved absurdly obtuse and dishonest. How could all costs be decreasing when the taxes he imposed were pushing up prices? Recent data indicate banana prices increased 6.9% over the past year, the price of beef climbed almost 15%, and the cost of coffee surged by nearly 19%—partly due to punitive tariffs on Brazil’s coffee and beef. Between January and September, prices rose in five of the six main grocery groups tracked by the government’s price index, including meats, poultry, and fish (up 4.5%), non-alcoholic beverages (increasing nearly 3%), and fruits and vegetables (up 1.3%).

Contradictions and Inaccuracies in Economic Claims

In spite of these numbers, Trump continues to push his big lie about affordability. Since election day, he has stated there is “virtually no inflation,” insisted “costs have fallen significantly,” and argued “living is cheaper under Trump than it was under sleepy Joe Biden.” Such remarks ignore the fact that general costs have clearly increased since Biden left office. Currently, inflation is running at a 3 percent per year, that’s 50% higher than the Federal Reserve’s target of 2 percent. Adding to the inaccuracies, he boasted that gas prices had fallen to around two dollars, despite official data show they are $3.19.

Faced with actual conditions and declining opinion polls, some Trump aides apparently warned that his “costs are falling” message portrayed him as disconnected from ordinary people. Many voters are angry about rising costs following assurances of reductions. In response, advisers suggested a simple solution: reduce certain import taxes. This sensible idea clashed with the president’s unrealistic claim that additional taxes would not increase costs for US consumers.

Suggested Solutions and Their Potential Effects

With certain taxes being rolled back on several food items, Trump will likely claim that he has lowered costs once these products start declining in price. That would be similar to a firestarter taking credit for extinguishing a fire that he ignited. In another instance, while speaking McDonald’s executives, he declared that “we are in the golden age of America” and told listeners that “prices are coming down and all of that stuff.” These comments are easy for a billionaire to make, but seem insincere to millions of Americans facing hardships—especially when millions risk losing food stamps or skyrocketing health premiums.

Per a recent poll conducted last fall, 74% of Americans think economic conditions are mediocre or bad, while just a quarter consider them positive. Another poll showed that 61% of Americans feel the administration’s actions have “worsened economic conditions” in the country.

Economic Truth and Suggested Steps

Scott Bessent, Trump’s top economic official, lately disputed assertions of a golden age. He noted that instead of thriving, some parts of the American economy “have contracted.” Industrial production—a priority for the administration—seems to have shrunk for multiple consecutive months and shed approximately 33,000 jobs since January. Citing these challenges, the secretary urged the central bank to cut interest rates—an action that could ease financial pressure.

In response to public dismay about living costs, Trump suggested a cash handout 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 it is unlikely that lawmakers—already alarmed about huge budget deficits—will enact the proposal. This idea could raise government expenditure, push up borrowing costs, and possibly fuel inflation by putting more money into the economy.

Another supposed fix for cost issues centered on introducing 50-year mortgages, with the notion that this would reduce monthly mortgage payments. But, the truth is that 50-year mortgages would do little to lower monthly payments—often reducing them by just $100 or $200 per month. The drawback is that these mortgages could more than double the overall cost homeowners pay and slow their accumulation of equity.

Faulting the Previous Administration and Economic Outlook

In their affordability campaign, Trump and his team have again blamed Biden for economic problems, such as rising prices. Officials stated they “inherited a disaster from Joe Biden” and were “cleaning up the prior administration’s price hikes.” These are absurd and inaccurate allegations. Actually, the former president handed over a robust economic situation, with low price growth, solid expansion, and unemployment low. But, the current administration’s actions—particularly import taxes—have created an difficult situation, driving costs higher and slowing GDP growth.

According to Mark Zandi, chief economist at a research firm, 22 states are already in recession, with their conditions worsened by Trump’s tariffs. Zandi fears that if large states like major economies enter a downturn, the US could face a widespread recession. During recessions, consumers generally possess reduced funds to spend, and price increases usually declines. Unfortunately, with Trump’s much-ballyhooed affordability campaign likely to do little to hold down prices, his most effective “tool” for achieving increased affordability might prove to be triggering an economic contraction—something that struggling Americans really can’t afford.