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Throughout last year's race for the White House, the former president wooed the electorate with pledges to reduce prices immediately upon taking office. But, once his inauguration, there was minimal attention to affordability issues. All that changed after inflation-weary voters delivered a rebuke at the polls. Within days, the Trump administration initiated a slapdash effort to tackle affordability. Regrettably, the drive is a hot mess—characterized by absurdity, inconsistencies, unrealistic expectations, blame-shifting, and misleading statements.

Out-of-Touch Claims and Grocery Store Reality

Merely 48 hours post-election, the president 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 utter contempt for everyday citizens facing difficulties every time they go the grocery store. In effect, he dismissed their concerns as trivial, suggesting they had it wrong about actual costs.

His assertion that everything was “way down” was absurdly obtuse and inaccurate. In what way could every price be falling when the taxes he imposed were pushing up costs? Recent data show the cost of bananas rose 6.9% in the last twelve months, beef prices went up almost 15%, and the cost of coffee surged by nearly 19%—partly because of import taxes applied to Brazilian products. 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 (increasing nearly 3%), and produce (up 1.3%).

Inconsistencies and Inaccuracies in Financial Claims

Despite these numbers, Trump persists in repeating his misleading narrative about lower costs. 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 his predecessor.” These statements ignore the reality that prices overall have unarguably risen since Biden left office. Currently, inflation is at a 3% annual rate, which is half again as much than the central bank’s target of 2 percent. Adding to the inaccuracies, Trump claimed that gas prices had dropped to nearly $2 a gallon, despite government figures indicate they average $3.19.

Confronted by actual conditions and declining opinion polls, some Trump aides apparently warned that his “costs are falling” message made him sound dangerously out of touch from ordinary people. A lot of citizens are frustrated about rising costs after assurances of decreases. As a result, advisers proposed a simple solution: reduce some of Trump’s beloved tariffs. This sensible idea clashed with Trump’s absurd assertion that new tariffs would not increase costs for US consumers.

Proposed Solutions and Their Possible Impact

With some tariffs being rolled back on several food items, the administration will likely announce that he has lowered costs once those foods begin to fall in price. That would be similar to a firestarter boasting for extinguishing a fire that he ignited. On another occasion, when addressing McDonald’s executives, he stated that “this is the peak period 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 countless households who are struggling—particularly when many face losing food stamps or rising insurance costs.

Per a survey from October, 74% of Americans believe economic conditions are mediocre or bad, while only 26% rate them good or excellent. Another poll found that 61% of Americans say the administration’s actions have “made the economy worse” in the country.

Financial Truth and Suggested Steps

Scott Bessent, the president’s top economic official, recently contradicted claims of a prosperous era. He noted that instead of thriving, 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 lost around 33,000 jobs this year. Pointing to these challenges, the secretary urged the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates—a move that could help affordability.

Reacting to public dismay about affordability, the president proposed a cash handout 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, increase borrowing costs, and potentially fuel inflation by putting more money into consumers’ pockets.

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

Faulting the Past Government and Economic Prospects

As part of their cost-cutting effort, the administration have again blamed Biden for economic problems, such as increasing costs. Officials stated they “faced a mess from Joe Biden” and were “addressing Biden’s inflation.” This is absurd and untruthful claims. In reality, the former president handed over a robust economic situation, with inflation way down, solid expansion, and minimal joblessness. But, Trump’s policies—particularly import taxes—have created an difficult situation, driving costs higher and reducing economic output.

According to an economist, lead analyst at a research firm, 22 states are already in recession, with their economies damaged by the administration’s trade policies. Zandi worries that if large states such as major economies enter a downturn, the nation could face a widespread recession. In downturns, people typically have less money to spend, and inflation usually declines. Unfortunately, with the highly-touted cost initiative probably ineffective to control costs, his primary method for achieving increased affordability might end up pushing the nation into recession—a scenario that struggling Americans really can’t afford.