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During the previous presidential campaign, the former president wooed the electorate with pledges to reduce costs immediately upon taking office. But, once his inauguration, he seemed to pay minimal focus to the cost of living. This shifted after price-fatigued voters expressed dissatisfaction at the ballot box. Within days, the Trump administration launched a hastily assembled campaign to tackle living costs. Regrettably, this initiative has proven a hot mess—filled with absurdity, inconsistencies, magical thinking, blame-shifting, and misleading statements.

Detached Assertions and Grocery Store Reality

Just two days post-election, Trump kicked off his cost-reduction push 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.” This comment from the wealthy leader—often mingles with other ultra-rich individuals—revealed a lack of empathy for everyday citizens facing difficulties every time they go supermarkets. In effect, he dismissed their struggles as unimportant, implying they were mistaken about price levels.

His assertion about declining prices proved highly misleading and dishonest. How could all costs be falling when the taxes he imposed were increasing prices? Official statistics indicate the cost of bananas rose 6.9% over the past year, beef prices went up 14.7%, and coffee prices surged by nearly 19%—partly because of punitive tariffs applied to Brazilian products. Between January and September, prices rose in the majority of food categories monitored by the government’s price index, such as animal proteins (up 4.5%), drinks (up 2.8%), and fruits and vegetables (up 1.3%).

Inconsistencies and Inaccuracies in Financial Statements

Despite these numbers, Trump continues to push his misleading narrative about affordability. After the vote, he has stated there is “almost no price increases,” insisted “costs have fallen significantly,” and asserted “it is far less expensive under Trump than it was under his predecessor.” Such remarks ignore the reality that prices overall have clearly increased since Biden left office. Currently, inflation is running at a 3 percent per year, which is half again as much than the central bank’s target of 2 percent. Adding to the inaccuracies, Trump boasted that gas prices had dropped to around two dollars, even though official data indicate they are over three dollars.

Faced with reality and declining opinion polls, advisers evidently warned that his “costs are falling” rhetoric made him sound disconnected from ordinary people. A lot of voters are frustrated about prices continuing to climb after assurances of reductions. As a result, aides suggested one quick fix: roll back some of Trump’s beloved tariffs. This sensible idea contradicted the president’s unrealistic claim that new tariffs wouldn’t raise prices for American shoppers.

Suggested Fixes and Their Possible Impact

With certain taxes reduced on several food items, the administration will probably claim that he has lowered costs once these products start declining in price. This would be like an arsonist taking credit for extinguishing a blaze that he ignited. On another occasion, while speaking McDonald’s executives, he 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 they ring hollow to countless households facing hardships—particularly when many risk cuts to nutrition assistance or skyrocketing health premiums.

According to a recent poll from October, 74% of Americans think the state of the economy are mediocre or bad, while just a quarter consider them positive. A separate survey showed that 61% of Americans say the administration’s actions have “made the economy worse” in the country.

Financial Truth and Suggested Measures

The treasury secretary, the president’s chief financial officer, recently disputed claims of a prosperous era. He stated that far from booming, some parts 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 tens of thousands of positions since January. Pointing to this weakness, the secretary called on the Federal Reserve to reduce borrowing costs—an action that could help affordability.

In response to public dismay about affordability, Trump suggested a cash handout of “a dividend of at least $2,000 a person” excluding “high income people.” To numerous households in need, this sounds like manna from heaven, but it is unlikely that Congress—already alarmed about huge budget deficits—will approve such a plan. This idea would likely increase federal spending, push up borrowing costs, and potentially fuel inflation by injecting cash into the economy.

A further supposed fix for cost issues involved introducing half-century home loans, based on the idea that this would reduce monthly mortgage payments. But, the truth is that 50-year mortgages have minimal impact to lower monthly payments—often cutting them by just $100 or $200 per month. The downside is that these mortgages could more than double the total interest borrowers pay and slow building home value.

Blaming the Previous Administration and Economic Prospects

In their affordability campaign, Trump and his team have once more blamed the previous president for financial challenges, such as increasing costs. Officials claimed they “faced a mess from Joe Biden” and were “cleaning up the prior administration’s price hikes.” This is unfounded and inaccurate claims. In reality, Biden left a robust economic situation, with inflation way down, solid expansion, and unemployment low. However, the current administration’s actions—particularly his tariffs—have created an economic mess, driving costs higher and slowing GDP growth.

Per Mark Zandi, lead analyst at a research firm, 22 states are already in recession, with their conditions worsened by Trump’s tariffs. Zandi fears that if key regions such as major economies tumble into recession, the US could face a broad economic slump. In downturns, people typically have less money to spend, and inflation usually declines. Unfortunately, with Trump’s much-ballyhooed affordability campaign likely to do little to control costs, his most effective “tool” for achieving increased affordability might end up pushing the nation into recession—a scenario that hard-pressed households really can’t afford.