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Throughout the previous race for the White House, Donald Trump wooed the electorate with promises to lower prices immediately upon taking office. However, after his inauguration, he seemed to pay minimal attention to affordability issues. This shifted following price-fatigued citizens expressed dissatisfaction at the polls. Shortly thereafter, the Trump administration initiated a hastily assembled effort to tackle affordability. Unfortunately, the drive has proven a hot mess—characterized by absurdity, contradictions, unrealistic expectations, scapegoating, and Trumpian dishonesty.

Detached Assertions and Supermarket Reality

Just two days post-election, the president kicked off his affordability drive 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 associates with other ultra-rich individuals—revealed a lack of empathy for millions of Americans who struggle every time they go the grocery store. Essentially, he dismissed their struggles as unimportant, implying they were mistaken about actual costs.

His assertion about declining prices proved absurdly obtuse and dishonest. In what way could all costs be falling when his cherished tariffs were pushing up prices? Official statistics show the cost of bananas rose nearly 7% over the past year, the price of beef climbed almost 15%, and coffee prices surged 18.9%—partly because of import taxes on Brazil’s coffee and beef. In the first three quarters, prices rose in the majority of main grocery groups monitored by the government’s price index, such as meats, poultry, and fish (rising over 4%), non-alcoholic beverages (increasing nearly 3%), and fruits and vegetables (up 1.3%).

Contradictions and Falsehoods in Economic Statements

Despite the evidence, Trump persists in repeating his misleading narrative about affordability. After the vote, he has stated there is “almost no price increases,” insisted “prices are way down,” and asserted “it is far less expensive under Trump than it was under his predecessor.” Such remarks ignore the reality that prices overall have unarguably risen since Biden left office. Currently, price growth is running at a 3 percent per year, that’s 50% higher than the Federal Reserve’s 2% goal. Adding to the inaccuracies, Trump claimed that gas prices had dropped to around two dollars, even though official data indicate they average over three dollars.

Confronted by actual conditions and declining opinion polls, some Trump aides evidently warned that his “costs are falling” rhetoric portrayed him as dangerously out of touch from ordinary people. Many voters are frustrated about rising costs after promises of reductions. As a result, advisers suggested one quick fix: roll back some of Trump’s beloved tariffs. The logical move contradicted the president’s unrealistic claim that new tariffs would not increase costs for American shoppers.

Suggested Fixes and Their Potential Impact

As some tariffs reduced on coffee, beef, tomatoes, and bananas, Trump will probably announce that he has cut prices once those foods begin to fall in price. This would be similar to a firestarter boasting for extinguishing a fire that he had started. In another instance, while speaking McDonald’s executives, Trump declared that “this is the golden age of America” and told listeners that “prices are coming down and all of that stuff.” These comments come naturally for a billionaire to make, but seem insincere to countless households who are struggling—especially when millions face cuts to nutrition assistance or skyrocketing health premiums.

According to a survey conducted last fall, 74% of Americans think the state of the economy are mediocre or bad, while only 26% rate them good or excellent. A separate survey showed that 61% of Americans feel the administration’s actions have “made the economy worse” in the country.

Economic Reality and Proposed Steps

The treasury secretary, Trump’s top economic official, recently disputed assertions of a prosperous era. He stated that instead of thriving, some parts of the US economy “are in recession.” The manufacturing sector—which Trump vowed to save—seems to have shrunk for eight months in a row and shed approximately 33,000 jobs this year. Pointing to these challenges, the secretary called on the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates—an action that could help affordability.

Reacting to public dismay about affordability, the president suggested a direct payment of “a dividend of at least $2,000 a person” excluding “high income people.” For many households in need, it seems like manna from heaven, but it is unlikely that Congress—concerned about large shortfalls—will approve such a plan. The scheme could increase federal spending, increase borrowing costs, and potentially fuel inflation by injecting cash into the economy.

Another supposed fix for affordability involved introducing 50-year mortgages, based on the idea that this would reduce monthly mortgage payments. But, reality is that 50-year mortgages would do little to reduce installments—frequently reducing them by just $100 or $200 per month. The downside is that these mortgages could significantly increase the total interest borrowers pay and hinder building home value.

Faulting the Previous Administration and Financial Prospects

In their affordability campaign, Trump and his team have again pointed fingers at Biden for economic problems, such as increasing costs. Spokespeople stated they “inherited a disaster from Joe Biden” and were “addressing Biden’s inflation.” These are unfounded and inaccurate allegations. In reality, the former president handed over a strong economy, with low price growth, solid expansion, and unemployment low. However, the current administration’s actions—particularly his tariffs—have resulted in an economic mess, driving costs higher and reducing economic output.

According to an economist, lead analyst at Moody’s Analytics, 22 states are experiencing economic decline, with their conditions worsened by the administration’s trade policies. Zandi worries that if key regions such as California and New York enter a downturn, the nation could face a broad economic slump. In downturns, people typically have less money to spend, and price increases often falls. Unfortunately, given Trump’s much-ballyhooed cost initiative probably ineffective to control costs, his most effective “tool” for improving living standards might prove to be pushing the nation into recession—a scenario that struggling Americans cannot handle.