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Throughout the previous race for the White House, the former president wooed voters with pledges to reduce costs starting on day one. But, once he assumed office, he seemed to pay minimal focus to the cost of living. This shifted after inflation-weary citizens delivered a rebuke at the polls. Shortly thereafter, the Trump administration launched a slapdash effort to address living costs. Unfortunately, the drive is a hot mess—filled with illogical claims, inconsistencies, unrealistic expectations, scapegoating, and misleading statements.

Detached Assertions and Grocery Store Reality

Just two days post-election, the president began his affordability drive with a poorly received remark: “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—often associates with fellow billionaires—revealed a lack of empathy for everyday citizens facing difficulties when visiting the grocery store. Essentially, he dismissed their struggles as trivial, implying they had it wrong about price levels.

His assertion that everything was “way down” was absurdly obtuse and dishonest. In what way could all costs be decreasing when his cherished tariffs were pushing up costs? Recent data indicate the cost of bananas rose nearly 7% over the past year, beef prices climbed 14.7%, and coffee prices surged by nearly 19%—partly because of import taxes applied to Brazilian products. In the first three quarters, costs increased in five of the six main grocery groups monitored by the government’s price index, such as meats, poultry, and fish (rising over 4%), drinks (increasing nearly 3%), and fruits and vegetables (up 1.3%).

Inconsistencies and Falsehoods in Financial Claims

In spite of these numbers, Trump persists in repeating his big lie about lower costs. After the vote, he has stated there is “virtually no inflation,” declared “costs have fallen significantly,” and argued “it is far less expensive under Trump than it was under sleepy Joe Biden.” These statements contradict the reality that general costs have clearly increased since Biden left office. Currently, inflation is running at a 3% annual rate, which is 50% higher than the central bank’s target of 2 percent. In another falsehood, Trump boasted that fuel costs had dropped to around two dollars, despite official data indicate they average $3.19.

Faced with actual conditions and declining opinion polls, some Trump aides apparently cautioned that his “prices are down” message made him sound dangerously out of touch from ordinary people. Many voters are angry about prices continuing to climb following assurances of reductions. As a result, aides suggested a simple solution: reduce some of Trump’s beloved tariffs. The logical move clashed with Trump’s absurd assertion that additional taxes wouldn’t raise prices for US consumers.

Suggested Solutions and Their Potential Impact

As some tariffs being rolled back on coffee, beef, tomatoes, and bananas, the administration will probably announce that he has cut prices once these products begin to fall in price. This would be similar to a firestarter taking credit for putting out a blaze that he had started. On another occasion, while speaking fast-food leaders, Trump stated that “we are in the peak period of America” and told listeners that “costs are decreasing and all of that stuff.” Such statements are easy for a wealthy individual to make, but seem insincere to countless households who are struggling—particularly when many face losing food stamps or rising insurance costs.

According to a survey from October, 74% of Americans think the state of the economy are fair or poor, while just a quarter consider them good or excellent. Another poll showed that a majority of citizens say the administration’s actions have “made the economy worse” in the country.

Financial Truth and Suggested Measures

Scott Bessent, the president’s chief financial officer, lately disputed claims of a prosperous era. He stated that far from booming, some parts of the American economy “are in recession.” Industrial production—which Trump vowed to save—appears to have contracted for multiple consecutive months and shed around 33,000 jobs since January. Citing these challenges, the secretary called on the central bank to reduce borrowing costs—a move that could help affordability.

Reacting to public dismay about living costs, Trump suggested a direct payment of “a dividend of at least $2,000 a person” not for “high income people.” For many households in need, it seems like manna from heaven, but it is unlikely that Congress—already alarmed about huge budget deficits—will approve such a plan. The scheme could raise government expenditure, increase borrowing costs, and potentially drive prices higher by injecting cash into the economy.

A further supposed fix for affordability involved introducing half-century home loans, based on the idea that they could lower housing costs. However, the truth is that 50-year mortgages have minimal impact to reduce installments—frequently reducing them by just $100 or $200 each month. The drawback is that these mortgages could significantly increase 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 again pointed fingers at the previous president for financial challenges, including increasing costs. Officials stated they “inherited a disaster from Joe Biden” and were “cleaning up the prior administration’s price hikes.” This is absurd and inaccurate allegations. In reality, the former president left a strong economy, with low price growth, solid expansion, and minimal joblessness. However, Trump’s policies—especially import taxes—have created an difficult situation, driving costs higher and slowing GDP growth.

According to Mark Zandi, lead analyst at a research firm, 22 states are already in recession, with their conditions worsened 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 broad economic slump. During recessions, consumers generally possess less money to spend, and inflation usually declines. Unfortunately, with the highly-touted 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.