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During the previous presidential campaign, Donald Trump wooed voters with pledges to lower costs starting on day one. But, once his inauguration, there was precious little attention to affordability issues. All that changed after price-fatigued voters expressed dissatisfaction at the ballot box. Within days, the Trump administration launched a slapdash effort to tackle affordability. Regrettably, this initiative is a disorganized endeavor—filled with absurdity, inconsistencies, magical thinking, scapegoating, and Trumpian dishonesty.

Detached Claims and Grocery Store Truth

Merely 48 hours post-election, the president kicked off his affordability drive with a disastrous remark: “Food prices are way down. Everything is way down… So I don’t want to hear about affordability.” These words from billionaire Trump—often associates with fellow billionaires—revealed utter contempt for millions of Americans who struggle when visiting supermarkets. In effect, he dismissed their struggles as unimportant, implying they had it wrong about price levels.

This statement that everything was “way down” was highly misleading and dishonest. How could every price be decreasing when his cherished tariffs were pushing up costs? Official statistics indicate the cost of bananas increased nearly 7% in the last twelve months, the price of beef climbed 14.7%, and the cost of coffee jumped 18.9%—in part due to import taxes on Brazil’s coffee and beef. In the first three quarters, costs increased in five of the six food categories monitored by the government’s price index, such as animal proteins (up 4.5%), drinks (increasing nearly 3%), and produce (up 1.3%).

Inconsistencies and Inaccuracies in Financial Claims

In spite of these numbers, the president continues to push his big lie about lower costs. Since election day, he has stated there is “virtually no inflation,” insisted “prices are way down,” and argued “living is cheaper under Trump than it was under sleepy Joe Biden.” These statements contradict the reality that general costs have unarguably risen after the previous administration. Currently, inflation is at a 3% annual rate, which is 50% higher than the Federal Reserve’s 2% goal. In another falsehood, Trump boasted that fuel costs had fallen to around two dollars, even though official data indicate they average $3.19.

Confronted by actual conditions and lower approval ratings, advisers apparently warned that his “costs are falling” rhetoric portrayed him as disconnected from ordinary people. Many voters are angry about prices continuing to climb following assurances of reductions. In response, aides proposed one quick fix: reduce some of Trump’s beloved tariffs. This sensible idea contradicted Trump’s absurd assertion that new tariffs wouldn’t raise prices for US consumers.

Proposed Solutions and Their Potential Effects

With some tariffs reduced on coffee, beef, tomatoes, and bananas, Trump will likely announce that he has lowered costs once those foods start declining in price. That would be similar to a firestarter taking credit for extinguishing a fire that he ignited. On another occasion, when addressing fast-food leaders, he declared that “this is the golden age of America” and told listeners 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 who are struggling—particularly when millions face losing food stamps or rising insurance costs.

Per a recent poll conducted last fall, 74% of Americans think economic conditions are mediocre or bad, while just a quarter consider them good or excellent. Another poll found that 61% of Americans say the administration’s actions have “worsened economic conditions” in the country.

Financial Reality and Proposed Steps

The treasury secretary, Trump’s top economic official, recently disputed claims of a golden age. He noted that far from booming, some parts of the American economy “have contracted.” Industrial production—a priority for the administration—appears to have contracted for eight months in a row and shed around tens of thousands of positions this year. Citing these challenges, Bessent urged the Federal Reserve to reduce borrowing costs—a move that could ease financial pressure.

Reacting to public dismay about affordability, Trump suggested a cash handout of “a dividend of at least $2,000 a person” excluding “high income people.” For many households in need, it seems like a financial lifeline, but it is unlikely that Congress—concerned about large shortfalls—will approve the proposal. This idea would likely raise government expenditure, push up borrowing costs, and possibly drive prices higher by injecting cash into the economy.

Another supposed fix for affordability involved creating half-century home loans, based on the idea that they could reduce monthly mortgage payments. However, reality is that such lengthy loans would do little to lower monthly payments—frequently cutting them by a small amount each month. The drawback is that these mortgages could significantly increase the overall cost borrowers pay and slow their accumulation of equity.

Faulting the Past Government and Financial Prospects

As part of their affordability campaign, the administration have once more pointed fingers at the previous president for economic problems, including rising prices. Officials claimed they “inherited a disaster from Joe Biden” and were “addressing the prior administration’s price hikes.” These are absurd and untruthful allegations. Actually, Biden handed over a robust economic situation, with low price growth, solid expansion, and minimal joblessness. However, the current administration’s actions—particularly import taxes—have resulted in an economic mess, pushing up prices and reducing economic output.

Per an economist, lead analyst at Moody’s Analytics, 22 states are already in recession, with their economies damaged by Trump’s tariffs. He fears that if large states like California and New York enter a downturn, the nation could face a broad economic slump. In downturns, people generally possess reduced funds to spend, and inflation often falls. Sadly, with Trump’s much-ballyhooed cost initiative likely to do little to hold down prices, his most effective “tool” for improving living standards might prove to be pushing the nation into recession—something that hard-pressed households cannot handle.