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During the previous presidential campaign, the former president wooed the electorate with promises to lower costs starting on day one. However, once he assumed office, there was minimal attention to the cost of living. All that changed after price-fatigued voters delivered a rebuke at the ballot box. Shortly thereafter, his team initiated a slapdash campaign to tackle affordability. Regrettably, this initiative is a disorganized endeavor—characterized by absurdity, inconsistencies, unrealistic expectations, blame-shifting, and Trumpian dishonesty.

Out-of-Touch Assertions and Supermarket Reality

Just two days post-election, Trump began his affordability drive with a disastrous statement: “Food prices are way down. Everything is way down… So I don’t want to hear about the cost of living.” This comment from billionaire Trump—who frequently associates with fellow billionaires—demonstrated a lack of empathy for millions of Americans who struggle every time they go the grocery store. In effect, he dismissed their concerns as trivial, suggesting they had it wrong about price levels.

His assertion that everything was “way down” was absurdly obtuse and inaccurate. In what way could every price be falling when his cherished tariffs were increasing costs? Official statistics show banana prices rose 6.9% in the last twelve months, the price of beef climbed almost 15%, and coffee prices jumped 18.9%—partly because of punitive tariffs on Brazil’s coffee and beef. Between January and September, prices rose in five of the six food categories monitored by the Consumer Price Index, such as animal proteins (rising over 4%), drinks (increasing nearly 3%), and produce (up 1.3%).

Contradictions and Falsehoods in Economic Statements

Despite these numbers, Trump continues to push his big lie about affordability. After the vote, he has stated there is “almost no price increases,” insisted “prices are way down,” and argued “living is cheaper under Trump than it was under sleepy Joe Biden.” These statements ignore the fact that prices overall have clearly increased after the previous administration. At present, inflation is running at a 3% annual rate, that’s half again as much than the central bank’s target of 2 percent. In another falsehood, Trump claimed that gas prices had fallen to around two dollars, despite official data indicate they average $3.19.

Confronted by actual conditions and declining opinion polls, advisers evidently cautioned that his “prices are down” rhetoric made him sound dangerously out of touch from ordinary people. A lot of voters are frustrated about rising costs following promises of decreases. In response, advisers suggested a simple solution: reduce certain import taxes. This sensible idea clashed with the president’s unrealistic claim that new tariffs wouldn’t raise prices for US consumers.

Suggested Solutions and Their Potential Impact

With certain taxes being rolled back on several food items, the administration will likely claim that he has lowered costs once those foods start declining in price. That would be like an arsonist boasting for extinguishing a fire that he ignited. In another instance, when addressing McDonald’s executives, Trump stated that “we are in the golden age of America” and told the audience 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 who are struggling—especially when many face losing food stamps or rising insurance costs.

According to a survey conducted last fall, 74% of Americans believe economic conditions are mediocre or bad, while just a quarter consider them positive. Another poll found that a majority of citizens say Trump’s policies have “worsened economic conditions” in the country.

Economic Truth and Suggested Measures

The treasury secretary, the president’s top economic official, recently disputed claims of a golden age. He noted that far from booming, certain sectors of the American economy “have contracted.” Industrial production—a priority for the administration—seems to have shrunk for eight months in a row and lost around tens of thousands of positions this year. Citing these challenges, Bessent called on the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates—an action that could ease financial pressure.

Reacting to widespread concern about affordability, Trump suggested a direct payment of “a payout of at least $2,000 a person” not for “the wealthy.” To numerous households in need, it seems like manna from heaven, but it is unlikely that Congress—already alarmed about large shortfalls—will enact such a plan. This idea could increase federal spending, push up borrowing costs, and possibly fuel inflation by injecting cash into consumers’ pockets.

Another supposed fix for cost issues centered on creating 50-year mortgages, with the notion that this would reduce monthly mortgage payments. But, the truth is that such lengthy loans would do little to reduce installments—frequently reducing them by a small amount per month. The downside is that these mortgages could significantly increase the total interest borrowers pay and hinder building home value.

Blaming the Previous Administration and Economic Outlook

As part of their cost-cutting effort, the administration have again blamed Biden for financial challenges, such as rising prices. Officials claimed they “faced a mess from Joe Biden” and were “addressing the prior administration’s price hikes.” This is unfounded and untruthful claims. In reality, the former president left a strong economy, with inflation way down, solid expansion, and unemployment low. But, the current administration’s actions—especially his tariffs—have resulted in an economic mess, driving costs higher and reducing economic output.

Per Mark Zandi, lead analyst at Moody’s Analytics, 22 states are already in recession, with their conditions worsened by the administration’s trade policies. Zandi worries that if large states such as major economies enter a downturn, the nation could face a broad economic slump. During recessions, consumers typically have less money to spend, and price increases often falls. Sadly, with Trump’s much-ballyhooed cost initiative likely to do little to control costs, his primary method for improving living standards might prove to be pushing the nation into recession—something that hard-pressed households really can’t afford.