The Plight of the American Economy: "Prices Have Fallen," Insists Trump — The Truth Behind President Trump's "Price Stabilization" Statement

1. "Grocery," a "Beautiful Word"

—April 2, White House Rose Garden. Near the end of what is commonly referred to as the "Liberation Day" speech, President Trump suddenly began with this.

"Grocery, an old-fashioned but beautiful word. It conjures an image of various things in a bag."People.com

This "etymology discussion," which drew laughter from the audience, was a prelude to his next statement.

"Both energy and groceries have dropped in price. I promised to tackle this issue even before taking office."People.com

2. Headwinds Indicated by Statistics

However, the USDA March report predicts that grocery prices will rise at a pace above average this year.

According to the BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI), "Food at Home" increased by 2.4% compared to the same month last year. ABC News dismissed the president's statement that prices "have dropped" as "disconnected from objective data."ABC News

3. Social Media Ignites #GroceriesGate

On May 8, on the president's Truth Social, he boasted, "Oil, eggs, and groceries have dropped, with almost no inflation."The Washington Post
Immediately on X (formerly Twitter),

• "A dozen eggs in my neighborhood actually went up by 30 cents" (@MidwestMom)

• "Milk has dropped? What planet is that on?" (@DataNerd)
  and other rebuttals followed, making the hashtag #GroceriesGate trend nationwide.

Meanwhile, on conservative message boards, posts defending the statement, such as "Spring vegetables are indeed cheaper" and "Lower gas prices reduce logistics costs," were also seen, highlighting the division.

4. Experts Analyze "Numbers and Rhetoric"

CBS fact-checked the April 24 statement, pointing out, "If only referring to fresh vegetables, there might be a slight decrease, but meat and beverages are rising."CBS News
The Washington Post analyzed that "the price drop is a side effect of the 'bad news' of falling crude oil prices" and warned that the full impact of tariffs would be felt after summer.The Washington Post

5. Are Tariffs a "Price Stabilizer" or a "Tax Increase"?

The current tariffs, ranging from 10% to 145%, target 135 countries. Price pass-through is unavoidable for imported coffee and chocolate, and experts warn of a potential "Halloween Chocolate Shock" in the fall.

6. Voices of the People—Feeling Politics at the Checkout

The "surprise initiative" of handing $100 to a mother in Pennsylvania resonated with supporters. However, a Morning Consult poll (late July) showed that 60% attribute the rising cost of living to the Trump administration, indicating limited effectiveness.The Guardian

7. "Price Drop Appeal" as a Media Strategy

While it seems to have turned the "gasoline price attack" used by the Biden camp in the 2020 presidential election to its advantage, PR experts analyze that "rhetoric without numerical backing is counterproductive."

8. Conclusion—Who Decides the "Contents of the Bag"?

The "various things in the bag" favored by the president are actually influenced by global supply chains and market psychology. Wordplay does not change the total at the register—this is the lesson that statistics and lived experience have brought to light.

Powered by Froala Editor