Fact-checking Trump’s presidential address claim he’s brought gas, grocery prices down – ABC News
During his Wednesday evening presidential address from the White House’s Diplomatic Room, Trump claimed his administration is rapidly reducing prices across gasoline, groceries, airfare, and hotel rates, stating “I am bringing those high prices down and bringing them down very fast.” He attributed prior increases to Biden’s administration, citing rises of 30–50% in gas, 37% in hotels, and 31% in airfare, then asserted that all categories are now “coming down and coming down fast.”
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Trump’s gasoline claims are partially misleading. While gas prices did peak at $5.016 per gallon in June 2022 under Biden and have since fallen to $2.998—representing roughly a 50% decrease from that peak—year-over-year comparison from September 2024 to September 2025 shows only a 0.5% decline. Trump’s Cabinet meeting presentations also contained previously debunked false statements about grocery and prescription drug prices, demonstrating a pattern of exaggeration on economic data.
Trump claimed egg prices dropped 82% since March; BLS data confirms a 43% decrease from the March all-time high of $6.23 to $3.49 in September, accounting for avian flu impacts. However, he omitted critical context: overall meat prices surged 8.5% year-over-year, beef prices hit record highs with a 14.7% increase, and coffee prices rose 18.9%—partly due to tariffs Trump imposed on coffee-producing nations like Brazil.
Airfare and hotel claims also diverge from BLS records. Airline fares increased 3.2% in September 2025 compared to September 2024, contradicting Trump’s assertion of declining airfares. Hotel rates fell 0.8% and car rentals dropped 5.0% over the past year, modest declines compared to Trump’s narrative of rapid reductions across all sectors.
Trump’s recent repeal of tariffs on beef, coffee, and tropical fruits signals an attempt to retroactively address price inflation caused by his own trade policies. The Bureau of Labor Statistics is releasing updated consumer price data Thursday, providing verification against the president’s claims made during the address.