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During last year's race for the White House, Donald Trump wooed the electorate with pledges to lower costs starting on day one. But, once his inauguration, there was precious little focus to affordability issues. This shifted following price-fatigued voters expressed dissatisfaction at the polls. Shortly thereafter, his team launched a hastily assembled campaign to tackle affordability. Regrettably, the drive has proven a hot mess—characterized by illogical claims, inconsistencies, magical thinking, blame-shifting, and Trumpian dishonesty.

Detached Claims and Supermarket Reality

Merely 48 hours after the election, Trump kicked off his affordability drive with a poorly received remark: “Food prices are way down. All items is way down… So I don’t want to hear about affordability.” These words from the wealthy leader—who frequently mingles with fellow billionaires—revealed utter contempt for everyday citizens who struggle when visiting supermarkets. Essentially, he ignored their struggles as unimportant, implying they had it wrong about price levels.

This statement about declining prices proved absurdly obtuse and dishonest. How could every price be falling when his cherished tariffs were increasing prices? Recent data indicate the cost of bananas increased 6.9% over the past year, the price of beef went up 14.7%, and the cost of coffee jumped by nearly 19%—partly due to punitive tariffs on Brazil’s coffee and beef. Between January and September, prices rose in the majority of food categories monitored by the Consumer Price Index, including animal proteins (up 4.5%), drinks (increasing nearly 3%), and fruits and vegetables (up 1.3%).

Inconsistencies and Falsehoods in Economic Claims

In spite of the evidence, the president continues to push his big lie about affordability. After the vote, he has claimed 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.” These statements contradict the reality that prices overall have unarguably risen since Biden left office. At present, inflation is at a 3% annual rate, that’s half again as much than the central bank’s target of 2 percent. In another falsehood, Trump boasted that fuel costs had dropped to nearly $2 a gallon, even though official data show they are over three dollars.

Faced with reality and lower approval ratings, some Trump aides evidently cautioned that his “costs are falling” message made him sound disconnected from typical Americans. A lot of citizens are frustrated about prices continuing to climb following promises of reductions. In response, aides suggested one quick fix: reduce some of Trump’s beloved tariffs. The logical move clashed with Trump’s absurd assertion that new tariffs wouldn’t raise prices for American shoppers.

Proposed Fixes and Their Possible Effects

With certain taxes reduced on coffee, beef, tomatoes, and bananas, the administration will probably announce that he has lowered costs once those foods start declining in price. That would be like an arsonist taking credit for putting out a fire that he ignited. On another occasion, when addressing McDonald’s executives, he stated that “we are in the peak period of America” and told the audience that “prices are coming down and all of that stuff.” Such statements come naturally for a billionaire to make, but they ring hollow to countless households facing hardships—particularly when millions face cuts to nutrition assistance or skyrocketing health premiums.

Per a survey conducted last fall, three-quarters of respondents believe the state of the economy are mediocre or bad, while only 26% consider them positive. A separate survey showed that a majority of citizens say Trump’s policies have “made the economy worse” in the country.

Financial Reality and Suggested Measures

The treasury secretary, the president’s chief financial officer, lately disputed claims of a prosperous era. He noted that instead of thriving, some parts of the American economy “are in recession.” The manufacturing sector—a priority for the administration—appears to have contracted for eight months in a row and lost around tens of thousands of positions since January. Pointing to these challenges, Bessent called on the central bank to cut interest rates—a move that could ease financial pressure.

In response to widespread concern about affordability, the president proposed a cash handout of “a dividend of at least $2,000 a person” not for “high income people.” For many struggling Americans, it seems like manna from heaven, but the prospects are dim that lawmakers—already alarmed about huge budget deficits—will enact such a plan. This idea could raise government expenditure, increase borrowing costs, and potentially fuel inflation by putting more money into the economy.

Another supposed fix for affordability centered on creating 50-year mortgages, based on the idea that this would lower housing costs. However, the truth is that such lengthy loans would do little to reduce installments—often cutting them by just $100 or $200 each month. The downside is that these mortgages could more than double the total interest borrowers pay and hinder their accumulation of equity.

Blaming the Past Government and Financial Prospects

In their cost-cutting effort, Trump and his team have once more blamed the previous president for financial challenges, such as rising prices. Spokespeople claimed they “faced a mess from Joe Biden” and were “cleaning up the prior administration’s price hikes.” This is unfounded and untruthful claims. In reality, Biden left a strong economy, with low price growth, economic growth strong, and unemployment low. However, Trump’s policies—especially his tariffs—have created an economic mess, pushing up prices and slowing GDP growth.

Per an economist, chief economist at a research firm, 22 states are experiencing economic decline, with their conditions worsened by the administration’s trade policies. He worries that if key regions like California and New York tumble into recession, the nation could face a widespread recession. In downturns, consumers generally possess less money to spend, and inflation often falls. Unfortunately, given Trump’s much-ballyhooed cost initiative likely to do little to control costs, his most effective “tool” for achieving increased affordability might prove to be pushing the nation into recession—a scenario that struggling Americans really can’t afford.