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During the previous race for the White House, the former president wooed voters with promises to lower costs starting on day one. But, after he assumed office, he seemed to pay precious little attention to the cost of living. All that changed after inflation-weary voters expressed dissatisfaction at the ballot box. Shortly thereafter, the Trump administration launched a hastily assembled campaign to tackle living costs. Regrettably, the drive is a disorganized endeavor—filled with illogical claims, inconsistencies, unrealistic expectations, blame-shifting, and misleading statements.

Detached Claims and Grocery Store Truth

Just two days after the election, the president kicked off his cost-reduction push with a poorly received remark: “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 billionaire Trump—who frequently associates with fellow billionaires—demonstrated utter contempt for millions of Americans who struggle when visiting the grocery store. Essentially, he dismissed their concerns as unimportant, suggesting they were mistaken about price levels.

This statement about declining prices was highly misleading and dishonest. How could all costs be decreasing when his cherished tariffs were increasing prices? Recent data indicate the cost of bananas rose nearly 7% in the last twelve months, beef prices climbed almost 15%, and the cost of coffee surged by nearly 19%—partly due to import taxes applied to Brazilian products. Between January and September, costs increased in five of the six main grocery groups tracked by the government’s price index, such as animal proteins (up 4.5%), drinks (up 2.8%), and fruits and vegetables (up 1.3%).

Inconsistencies and Falsehoods in Financial Statements

Despite these numbers, Trump continues to push his big lie about affordability. After the vote, he has stated there is “almost no price increases,” declared “costs have fallen significantly,” and argued “living is cheaper under Trump than it was under his predecessor.” Such remarks contradict the reality that prices overall have unarguably risen after the previous administration. Currently, inflation is running at a 3% annual rate, that’s 50% higher than the Federal Reserve’s 2% goal. In another falsehood, Trump claimed that gas prices had dropped to nearly $2 a gallon, even though official data show they average $3.19.

Confronted by actual conditions and declining opinion polls, advisers apparently cautioned that his “costs are falling” message made him sound dangerously out of touch from typical Americans. Many citizens are angry about prices continuing to climb after assurances of decreases. As a result, aides suggested one quick fix: reduce certain import taxes. The logical move contradicted Trump’s absurd assertion that additional taxes would not increase costs for US consumers.

Suggested Fixes and Their Possible Impact

As certain taxes being rolled back on coffee, beef, tomatoes, and bananas, Trump will likely announce that he has cut prices once these products start declining in price. That would be like an arsonist taking credit for extinguishing a fire that he had started. On another occasion, when addressing fast-food leaders, Trump stated that “this is the golden age of America” and told listeners that “costs are decreasing and all of that stuff.” Such statements come naturally for a billionaire to make, but they ring hollow to countless households who are struggling—especially when many face cuts to nutrition assistance or rising insurance costs.

Per a recent poll from October, 74% of Americans think economic conditions are mediocre or bad, while only 26% rate them good or excellent. Another poll found that 61% of Americans feel the administration’s actions have “worsened economic conditions” in the country.

Economic Truth and Suggested Steps

The treasury secretary, the president’s top economic official, recently contradicted assertions of a prosperous era. He stated that far from booming, certain sectors of the US economy “have contracted.” Industrial production—a priority for the administration—seems to have shrunk for multiple consecutive months and shed around tens of thousands of positions since January. Pointing to this weakness, the secretary urged the Federal Reserve to reduce borrowing costs—an action that could ease financial pressure.

In response to public dismay about living costs, Trump suggested a direct payment of “a dividend of at least $2,000 a person” excluding “the wealthy.” To numerous struggling Americans, this sounds like a financial lifeline, but it is unlikely that Congress—already alarmed about large shortfalls—will enact such a plan. This idea could increase federal spending, push up interest rates, and possibly drive prices higher by injecting cash into consumers’ pockets.

Another proposed solution for affordability involved creating half-century home loans, based on the idea that this would reduce monthly mortgage payments. However, reality is that such lengthy loans would do little to lower monthly payments—frequently reducing them by just $100 or $200 per month. The drawback is that these mortgages could significantly increase the overall cost homeowners pay and slow building home value.

Blaming the Past Government and Economic Outlook

As part of their cost-cutting effort, the administration have once more blamed Biden for financial challenges, including increasing costs. Officials claimed they “faced a mess from Joe Biden” and were “addressing Biden’s inflation.” These are absurd and untruthful claims. Actually, Biden handed over a robust economic situation, with inflation way down, solid expansion, and minimal joblessness. But, Trump’s policies—especially his tariffs—have resulted in an difficult situation, pushing up prices and reducing economic output.

According to an economist, lead analyst at Moody’s Analytics, numerous regions are experiencing economic decline, with their economies damaged by the administration’s trade policies. Zandi worries that if large states like major economies enter a downturn, the US could face a broad economic slump. During recessions, people generally possess reduced funds to spend, and price increases usually declines. Unfortunately, given Trump’s much-ballyhooed affordability campaign likely to do little to hold down prices, his most effective “tool” for achieving increased affordability might end up pushing the nation into recession—something that hard-pressed households cannot handle.