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Throughout last year's presidential campaign, Donald Trump wooed voters with promises to lower costs immediately upon taking office. But, after he assumed office, there was minimal attention to the cost of living. All that changed after inflation-weary citizens expressed dissatisfaction at the polls. Within days, the Trump administration initiated a hastily assembled effort to tackle living costs. Regrettably, the drive has proven a disorganized endeavor—characterized by illogical claims, inconsistencies, unrealistic expectations, scapegoating, and misleading statements.

Out-of-Touch Claims and Grocery Store Truth

Just two days post-election, Trump began his affordability drive with a disastrous remark: “Food prices are way down. Everything is way down… So I don’t want to hear about the cost of living.” These words from billionaire Trump—often associates with other ultra-rich individuals—revealed a lack of empathy for everyday citizens facing difficulties when visiting the grocery store. Essentially, he ignored their concerns as unimportant, implying they were mistaken about actual costs.

This statement that everything was “way down” was absurdly obtuse and dishonest. In what way could all costs be decreasing when his cherished tariffs were increasing costs? Recent data show banana prices increased 6.9% in the last twelve months, the price of beef climbed 14.7%, and coffee prices jumped by nearly 19%—in part because of import taxes on Brazil’s coffee and beef. In the first three quarters, prices rose in the majority of main grocery groups tracked by the Consumer Price Index, such as animal proteins (rising over 4%), drinks (up 2.8%), and fruits and vegetables (up 1.3%).

Inconsistencies and Falsehoods in Financial Statements

Despite the evidence, the president persists in repeating his misleading narrative about affordability. Since election day, he has stated there is “almost no price increases,” insisted “costs have fallen significantly,” and argued “it is far less expensive under Trump than it was under his predecessor.” 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, which is 50% higher than the Federal Reserve’s 2% goal. Adding to the inaccuracies, Trump boasted that gas prices had fallen to around two dollars, despite government figures show they average over three dollars.

Confronted by actual conditions and declining opinion polls, some Trump aides evidently warned that his “costs are falling” message made him sound dangerously out of touch from typical Americans. Many citizens are frustrated about rising costs after assurances of reductions. In response, advisers suggested a simple solution: reduce certain import taxes. The logical move contradicted Trump’s absurd assertion that additional taxes would not increase costs for US consumers.

Proposed Fixes and Their Potential Impact

As some tariffs being rolled back on several food items, the administration will probably announce that he has cut prices once these products begin to fall in price. That would be similar to a firestarter taking credit for extinguishing a blaze that he had started. On another occasion, when addressing fast-food leaders, he stated that “this is the peak period of America” and assured listeners that “costs are decreasing and all of that stuff.” These comments are easy for a billionaire to make, but seem insincere to countless households who are struggling—especially when millions risk cuts to nutrition assistance or rising insurance costs.

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

Economic Reality and Proposed Steps

Scott Bessent, the president’s chief financial officer, lately contradicted claims of a prosperous era. He noted that far from booming, some parts of the US economy “have contracted.” The manufacturing sector—which Trump vowed to save—seems to have shrunk for multiple consecutive months and shed around 33,000 jobs this year. Pointing to these challenges, Bessent called on the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates—an action that could help affordability.

In response to widespread concern about affordability, Trump proposed a direct payment 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 it is unlikely that Congress—already alarmed about large shortfalls—will approve the proposal. This idea could raise government expenditure, increase borrowing costs, and possibly fuel inflation by putting more money into the economy.

A further supposed fix for affordability involved creating 50-year mortgages, based on the idea that they could reduce monthly mortgage payments. However, reality is that 50-year mortgages have minimal impact to reduce installments—often reducing them by just $100 or $200 each month. The drawback is that these loans could significantly increase the overall cost homeowners pay and slow building home value.

Faulting the Past Government and Economic Prospects

As part of their cost-cutting effort, the administration have once more blamed the previous president for economic problems, such as increasing costs. Spokespeople stated they “inherited a disaster from Joe Biden” and were “cleaning up Biden’s inflation.” This is absurd and untruthful allegations. Actually, the former president handed over a strong economy, with low price growth, economic growth strong, and unemployment low. But, the current administration’s actions—particularly import taxes—have created an difficult situation, driving costs higher and slowing GDP growth.

Per Mark Zandi, chief economist at a research firm, numerous regions are experiencing economic decline, with their conditions worsened by Trump’s tariffs. Zandi worries that if large states like major economies tumble into recession, the US could slide into a broad economic slump. During recessions, people typically have less money to spend, and price increases often falls. Unfortunately, given the highly-touted affordability campaign likely to do little to control costs, his most effective “tool” for improving living standards might end up triggering an economic contraction—a scenario that struggling Americans really can’t afford.