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During the previous presidential campaign, the former president wooed voters with pledges to lower prices starting on day one. But, after his inauguration, there was minimal focus to the cost of living. All that changed after inflation-weary voters expressed dissatisfaction at the polls. Within days, the Trump administration launched a hastily assembled effort to address affordability. Unfortunately, the drive is a disorganized endeavor—characterized by absurdity, contradictions, unrealistic expectations, blame-shifting, and misleading statements.

Out-of-Touch Assertions and Supermarket Truth

Just two days post-election, Trump 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 the cost of living.” This comment from the wealthy leader—who frequently mingles with other ultra-rich individuals—revealed utter contempt for millions of Americans facing difficulties every time they go the grocery store. Essentially, he ignored their concerns as unimportant, suggesting they had it wrong about price levels.

His assertion about declining prices proved highly misleading and inaccurate. How could every price be decreasing when his cherished tariffs were increasing costs? Recent data indicate banana prices rose 6.9% over the past year, beef prices went up 14.7%, and coffee prices jumped by nearly 19%—in part due to punitive tariffs applied to Brazilian products. 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 (up 4.5%), drinks (increasing nearly 3%), and produce (rising slightly).

Contradictions and Inaccuracies in Economic Claims

Despite these numbers, Trump continues to push his big lie about affordability. Since election day, he has stated there is “virtually no inflation,” declared “prices are way down,” and argued “living is cheaper under Trump than it was under sleepy Joe Biden.” These statements ignore the reality that general costs have unarguably risen after the previous administration. Currently, inflation is running at a 3% annual rate, that’s 50% higher than the Federal Reserve’s 2% goal. In another falsehood, Trump boasted that gas prices had fallen to nearly $2 a gallon, even though government figures indicate they are $3.19.

Confronted by actual conditions and declining opinion polls, some Trump aides evidently warned that his “costs are falling” message portrayed him as dangerously out of touch from typical Americans. A lot of voters are angry about rising costs after promises of reductions. In response, aides suggested a simple solution: roll back some of Trump’s beloved tariffs. The logical move contradicted Trump’s absurd assertion that additional taxes would not increase costs for US consumers.

Proposed Solutions and Their Potential Effects

With certain taxes being rolled back on several food items, Trump will probably announce that he has cut prices once those foods start declining in price. This would be like an arsonist boasting for extinguishing a blaze that he ignited. On another occasion, when addressing fast-food leaders, he declared that “we are in the peak period of America” and assured listeners that “costs are decreasing and all of that stuff.” These comments are easy for a billionaire to make, but seem insincere to countless households who are struggling—particularly when many face losing food stamps or rising insurance costs.

Per a recent poll from October, 74% of Americans think economic conditions are mediocre or bad, while just a quarter rate them good or excellent. A separate survey showed that 61% of Americans say the administration’s actions have “made the economy worse” in the country.

Economic Truth and Proposed Measures

The treasury secretary, the president’s top economic official, lately disputed claims of a golden age. He noted that far from booming, some parts of the American economy “are in recession.” Industrial production—a priority for the administration—appears to have contracted for eight months in a row and lost approximately tens of thousands of positions since January. Citing these challenges, Bessent urged the central bank to cut interest rates—an action that could ease financial pressure.

In response to widespread concern about affordability, the president proposed a direct payment of “a dividend of at least $2,000 a person” excluding “high income people.” To numerous struggling Americans, this sounds like a financial lifeline, but the prospects are dim that Congress—concerned about huge budget deficits—will approve the proposal. The scheme would likely raise government expenditure, push up borrowing costs, and potentially fuel inflation by injecting cash into consumers’ pockets.

Another proposed solution for affordability centered on introducing half-century home loans, based on the idea that this would lower housing costs. However, the truth is that 50-year mortgages would do little to reduce installments—often reducing them by a small amount per month. The drawback is that these loans could more than double the overall cost borrowers pay and slow building home value.

Blaming the Previous Administration and Financial Prospects

In their cost-cutting effort, Trump and his team have once more pointed fingers at the previous president for financial challenges, including increasing costs. Spokespeople stated they “faced a mess from Joe Biden” and were “addressing the prior administration’s price hikes.” These are absurd and untruthful claims. In reality, Biden left a strong economy, with inflation way down, solid expansion, and unemployment low. But, Trump’s policies—particularly his tariffs—have resulted in an economic mess, pushing up prices and reducing economic output.

According to Mark Zandi, chief economist at a research firm, 22 states are already in recession, with their economies damaged by the administration’s trade policies. Zandi worries that if key regions such as California and New York tumble into recession, the nation could slide into a widespread recession. In downturns, consumers typically have reduced funds to spend, and price increases usually declines. Sadly, with the highly-touted affordability campaign probably ineffective to control costs, his primary method for improving living standards might prove to be triggering an economic contraction—a scenario that hard-pressed households really can’t afford.