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Throughout the previous race for the White House, Donald Trump wooed the electorate with pledges to reduce prices immediately upon taking office. But, once he assumed office, he seemed to pay precious little focus to affordability issues. All that changed after price-fatigued voters delivered a rebuke at the ballot box. Shortly thereafter, his team launched a hastily assembled effort to tackle affordability. Regrettably, the drive has proven a hot mess—characterized by illogical claims, inconsistencies, magical thinking, blame-shifting, and misleading statements.

Out-of-Touch Assertions and Supermarket Truth

Merely 48 hours after the election, the president kicked off his affordability drive with a poorly received remark: “Our groceries are way down. All items is way down… So I don’t want to hear about the cost of living.” These words from billionaire Trump—often associates with fellow billionaires—demonstrated a lack of empathy for everyday citizens who struggle when visiting the grocery store. Essentially, he dismissed their concerns as unimportant, implying they were mistaken about price levels.

His assertion that everything was “way down” was highly misleading and dishonest. In what way could all costs be decreasing when the taxes he imposed were pushing up costs? Recent data indicate the cost of bananas rose nearly 7% in the last twelve months, the price of beef climbed almost 15%, and coffee prices surged 18.9%—partly because of punitive tariffs applied to Brazilian products. Between January and September, prices rose in five of the six food categories monitored by the Consumer Price Index, including meats, poultry, and fish (rising over 4%), non-alcoholic beverages (increasing nearly 3%), and fruits and vegetables (up 1.3%).

Contradictions and Inaccuracies in Financial Claims

Despite 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 asserted “living is cheaper under Trump than it was under sleepy Joe Biden.” Such remarks ignore the fact that prices overall have clearly increased since Biden left office. At present, inflation is running at a 3% annual rate, that’s 50% higher than the Federal Reserve’s 2% goal. Adding to the inaccuracies, Trump claimed that fuel costs had dropped to nearly $2 a gallon, despite government figures indicate they are over three dollars.

Faced with reality and lower approval ratings, some Trump aides evidently cautioned that his “costs are falling” rhetoric portrayed him as disconnected from typical Americans. Many citizens are angry about rising costs following assurances of reductions. In response, advisers suggested a simple solution: roll back certain import taxes. This sensible idea clashed with the president’s unrealistic claim that additional taxes would not increase costs for American shoppers.

Suggested Fixes and Their Possible Effects

With certain taxes reduced on several food items, Trump will likely 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 ignited. In another instance, when addressing fast-food leaders, he stated that “we are in the peak period of America” and assured listeners that “costs are decreasing and all of that stuff.” Such statements come naturally for a wealthy individual to make, but they ring hollow to countless households facing hardships—particularly when millions face losing food stamps or rising insurance costs.

Per a recent poll conducted last fall, three-quarters of respondents believe economic conditions are mediocre or bad, while just a quarter consider them good or excellent. Another poll showed that a majority of citizens say the administration’s actions have “worsened economic conditions” in the country.

Economic Reality and Proposed Measures

Scott Bessent, Trump’s chief financial officer, lately disputed assertions of a golden age. He noted that instead of thriving, certain sectors of the American economy “have contracted.” The manufacturing sector—a priority for the administration—appears to have contracted for eight months in a row and lost around 33,000 jobs since January. Pointing to this weakness, Bessent urged the Federal Reserve to reduce borrowing costs—a move that could ease financial pressure.

In response to public dismay about affordability, Trump suggested a cash handout of “a dividend of at least $2,000 a person” excluding “the wealthy.” To numerous households in need, it seems like a financial lifeline, but the prospects are dim that Congress—concerned about large shortfalls—will enact the proposal. This idea would likely raise government expenditure, push up interest rates, and potentially drive prices higher by putting more money into the economy.

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

Blaming the Past Government and Financial Prospects

As part of their affordability campaign, the administration have again blamed the previous president for financial challenges, including increasing costs. Spokespeople claimed they “inherited a disaster from Joe Biden” and were “addressing the prior administration’s price hikes.” This is unfounded and inaccurate allegations. In reality, Biden handed over a strong economy, with low price growth, solid expansion, and unemployment low. But, the current administration’s actions—particularly his tariffs—have created an difficult situation, pushing up prices and slowing GDP growth.

Per an economist, chief economist 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 like California and New York enter a downturn, the US could face a broad economic slump. During recessions, people generally possess less money to spend, and price increases usually declines. Unfortunately, given the highly-touted affordability campaign likely to do little to hold down prices, his most effective “tool” for improving living standards might end up triggering an economic contraction—a scenario that hard-pressed households cannot handle.