President Donald Trump keeps downplaying America’s affordability crisis, and he continues to falsely claim that inflation and overall prices have fallen during his second term.
“Our prices are coming down very substantially on groceries and things,” Trump told reporters in Florida Sunday evening. “They’re already at a much lower level than they were with the last administration.”
The truth is annual inflation stood at 3% in September. Grocery prices have gained 1.4% between January and September, and US consumer prices have risen 1.7% on average during Trump’s second term, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
But that’s just an average. Look a little more closely, and Trump really can claim credit for some falling prices. But he is also to blame for some rising prices.
A complex mix of factors determines the price of any particular item. As anyone who took Econ 101 remembers, supply and demand remain the primary influences over consumer prices.
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