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During the previous presidential campaign, Donald Trump courted the electorate with promises to lower costs immediately upon taking office. But, once he assumed office, there was precious little attention to affordability issues. All that changed after inflation-weary citizens delivered a rebuke at the polls. Within days, the Trump administration initiated a slapdash campaign to address affordability. Regrettably, the drive has proven a hot mess—characterized by illogical claims, inconsistencies, unrealistic expectations, scapegoating, and Trumpian dishonesty.

Out-of-Touch Claims and Supermarket Truth

Just two days post-election, the president began his cost-reduction push with a poorly received remark: “Our groceries are way down. Everything is way down… So I don’t want to hear about affordability.” These words from billionaire Trump—who frequently associates with fellow billionaires—revealed utter contempt for millions of Americans facing difficulties when visiting the grocery store. In effect, he dismissed their concerns as unimportant, implying they had it wrong about actual costs.

His assertion that everything was “way down” proved absurdly obtuse and dishonest. How could all costs be decreasing when the taxes he imposed were pushing up costs? Recent data indicate the cost of bananas rose 6.9% in the last twelve months, beef prices went up 14.7%, and coffee prices jumped 18.9%—partly because of punitive tariffs applied to Brazilian products. In the first three quarters, prices rose in the majority of main grocery groups monitored by the Consumer Price Index, such as meats, poultry, and fish (rising over 4%), drinks (up 2.8%), and fruits and vegetables (up 1.3%).

Inconsistencies and Inaccuracies in Economic Claims

Despite the evidence, Trump continues to push his big lie about affordability. After the vote, he has claimed there is “virtually no inflation,” insisted “prices are way down,” and asserted “it is far less expensive under Trump than it was under sleepy Joe Biden.” These statements ignore the reality that prices overall have clearly increased after the previous administration. Currently, inflation is at a 3% annual rate, which is half again as much than the central bank’s 2% goal. In another falsehood, Trump claimed that fuel costs had dropped to around two dollars, even though official data indicate they average $3.19.

Faced with reality and lower approval ratings, some Trump aides evidently warned that his “costs are falling” message portrayed him as disconnected from typical Americans. A lot of voters are angry about rising costs following assurances of reductions. As a result, aides proposed a simple solution: reduce certain import taxes. The logical move contradicted Trump’s absurd assertion that new tariffs wouldn’t raise prices for US consumers.

Suggested Fixes and Their Potential Effects

With some tariffs being rolled back on several food items, the administration will likely claim that he has lowered costs once those foods begin to fall in price. This would be similar to a firestarter taking credit for extinguishing a blaze that he ignited. On another occasion, when addressing fast-food leaders, Trump stated that “we are in the peak period of America” and assured listeners that “prices are coming down and all of that stuff.” These comments come naturally for a billionaire to make, but seem insincere to countless households facing hardships—especially when millions risk losing food stamps or rising insurance costs.

According to a survey conducted last fall, 74% of Americans think economic conditions are mediocre or bad, while only 26% rate them positive. Another poll found that 61% of Americans say Trump’s policies have “made the economy worse” in the country.

Financial Truth and Proposed Steps

The treasury secretary, Trump’s chief financial officer, lately contradicted assertions of a golden age. He noted that instead of thriving, certain sectors of the US economy “have contracted.” Industrial production—which Trump vowed to save—seems to have shrunk for multiple consecutive months and lost around tens of thousands of positions since January. Citing these challenges, the secretary urged the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates—an action that could help affordability.

Reacting to widespread concern about affordability, the president proposed a cash handout of “a dividend of at least $2,000 a person” not for “the wealthy.” For many struggling Americans, it seems like manna from heaven, but the prospects are dim that lawmakers—concerned about large shortfalls—will enact the proposal. The scheme could increase federal spending, push up interest rates, and potentially drive prices higher by injecting cash into the economy.

Another proposed solution for affordability centered on creating half-century home loans, based on the idea that they could reduce monthly mortgage payments. But, the truth is that 50-year mortgages would do little to lower monthly payments—often cutting them by just $100 or $200 per month. The drawback is that these loans could significantly increase the total interest homeowners pay and hinder their accumulation of equity.

Faulting the Past Government and Economic Outlook

In their affordability campaign, the administration have again pointed fingers at Biden for economic problems, such as rising prices. Officials stated they “inherited a disaster from Joe Biden” and were “addressing the prior administration’s price hikes.” This is unfounded and inaccurate allegations. In reality, the former president left a robust economic situation, with low price growth, solid expansion, and unemployment low. However, Trump’s policies—especially import taxes—have created an economic mess, pushing up prices and reducing economic output.

According to Mark Zandi, lead analyst at Moody’s Analytics, 22 states are already in recession, with their economies damaged by Trump’s tariffs. He fears that if key regions like California and New York tumble into recession, the nation could face a broad economic slump. During recessions, people typically have reduced funds to spend, and price increases usually declines. Sadly, with the highly-touted affordability campaign probably ineffective to control costs, his most effective “tool” for achieving increased affordability might end up triggering an economic contraction—something that struggling Americans really can’t afford.