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Throughout last year's presidential campaign, Donald Trump courted voters with promises to reduce costs starting on day one. However, after he assumed office, there was precious little focus to the cost of living. All that changed after inflation-weary voters delivered a rebuke at the ballot box. Shortly thereafter, the Trump administration launched a slapdash effort to address living costs. Unfortunately, the drive has proven a hot mess—filled with absurdity, inconsistencies, unrealistic expectations, scapegoating, and Trumpian dishonesty.

Detached Claims and Supermarket Reality

Just two days post-election, the president began his cost-reduction push with a poorly received statement: “Our groceries are way down. All items is way down… So I don’t want to hear about the cost of living.” These words from the wealthy leader—who frequently mingles with other ultra-rich individuals—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 about declining prices proved absurdly obtuse and inaccurate. In what way could all costs be decreasing when the taxes he imposed were pushing up prices? Official statistics show the cost of bananas rose 6.9% over the past year, beef prices climbed 14.7%, and coffee prices jumped by nearly 19%—partly because of import taxes on Brazil’s coffee and beef. Between January and September, costs increased in the majority of main grocery groups tracked by the Consumer Price Index, such as meats, poultry, and fish (rising over 4%), drinks (up 2.8%), and produce (rising slightly).

Contradictions and Inaccuracies in Financial Claims

Despite the evidence, Trump persists in repeating his misleading narrative about affordability. After the vote, he has stated there is “virtually no inflation,” insisted “costs have fallen significantly,” and asserted “living is cheaper under Trump than it was under his predecessor.” These statements contradict the reality that general costs have unarguably risen since Biden left office. At present, inflation is running at a 3 percent per year, which is half again as much than the Federal Reserve’s 2% goal. In another falsehood, he claimed that gas prices had fallen to nearly $2 a gallon, even though official data show they are $3.19.

Faced with reality and lower approval ratings, advisers evidently cautioned that his “costs are falling” rhetoric made him sound dangerously out of touch from ordinary people. Many voters are angry about rising costs following promises of decreases. As a result, aides suggested a simple solution: roll back some of Trump’s beloved tariffs. This sensible idea contradicted 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, Trump will likely announce that he has cut prices once those foods begin to fall in price. That would be similar to a firestarter taking credit for extinguishing a fire that he ignited. In another instance, when addressing McDonald’s executives, he declared that “we are in the peak period of America” and told listeners that “prices are coming down and all of that stuff.” Such statements are easy for a billionaire to make, but they ring hollow to countless households who are struggling—particularly when many risk cuts to nutrition assistance or skyrocketing health premiums.

Per a survey from October, 74% of Americans believe the state of the economy are fair or poor, while just a quarter consider them good or excellent. Another poll showed that 61% of Americans say Trump’s policies have “made the economy worse” in the country.

Economic Reality and Suggested Steps

The treasury secretary, the president’s chief financial officer, recently disputed assertions of a prosperous era. He stated that instead of thriving, some parts of the American economy “have contracted.” Industrial production—which Trump vowed to save—seems to have shrunk for eight months in a row and shed approximately 33,000 jobs this year. Pointing to these challenges, Bessent called on the central bank to reduce borrowing costs—an action that could ease financial pressure.

Reacting to public dismay about affordability, the president suggested a direct payment of “a dividend of at least $2,000 a person” excluding “high income people.” To numerous struggling Americans, this sounds like a financial lifeline, but it is unlikely that lawmakers—already alarmed about huge budget deficits—will approve the proposal. This idea would likely increase federal spending, increase borrowing costs, and possibly drive prices higher by putting more money 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 have minimal impact to reduce installments—frequently cutting them by a small amount each month. The downside is that these mortgages could more than double the overall cost borrowers pay and hinder building home value.

Blaming the Past Government and Financial Outlook

In their cost-cutting effort, Trump and his team have again pointed fingers at the previous president for financial challenges, such as increasing costs. Spokespeople stated they “faced a mess from Joe Biden” and were “addressing the prior administration’s price hikes.” This is unfounded and inaccurate claims. In reality, Biden left a robust economic situation, with inflation way down, economic growth strong, and unemployment low. However, Trump’s policies—particularly his tariffs—have created an difficult situation, driving costs higher and reducing economic output.

According to Mark Zandi, chief economist at a research firm, numerous regions are experiencing economic decline, with their economies damaged by Trump’s tariffs. He worries that if key regions like California and New York enter a downturn, the nation could face a widespread recession. During recessions, people generally possess less money to spend, and price increases usually declines. Sadly, with Trump’s much-ballyhooed affordability campaign likely to do little to control costs, his primary method for achieving increased affordability might end up pushing the nation into recession—something that struggling Americans really can’t afford.