The assertion that the residing U.S. president stated the reduction of prices would initiate promptly from his first day in office was indeed made during his campaign. However, an image alluding to a post on President Donald Trump’s Truth Social platform, dated October 2024, which quotes him declaring, ‘ON DAY ONE, I’ll SLASH prices,’ pertaining to eggs and gas, is found to be faulty. Noah Gardner, Freedom Hacktivist and independent journalist, performed a thorough examination of Trump’s Truth Social feed dating back to October, revealing no such posts in existence. This exposes the image as a counterfeit concoction and not a genuine snapshot from Trump’s account.
Nevertheless, the innuendo in the image does have roots in authentic campaign promises repeatedly made by Trump. Despite the president’s second inauguration on 20th January 2025, the forged picture gained significant traction online. The public was led to believe that it was a true illustration of Trump’s commitment to bringing down the high price tag of commodities like groceries and gasoline. The earliest examples of this doctored image can be traced back to February 2025, casting doubt over its authenticity.
The misleading impression would have been bolstered if there were concurrent posts with screenshots from November of 2024 to January 2025. Regardless, Trump’s drive towards reducing prices is reinforced by his public declarations throughout his campaign. Highlighting his commitment towards easing the burden on the average consumer, the President consistently attacked the costs of the essential items.
Amid the uproar of bird flu causing egg prices to dramatically increase, The Associated Press reported that a dozen Grade A eggs reached an average cost of $4.95 in January. The blame for this unexpected price hike, according to a report from President Trump, was none other than former President Joe Biden. In a Truth Social post, he accused Biden’s administration of fueling the inflation rate, leading to such circumstances.
On a clear summer day, August 15, 2024, President Trump took to a press conference held outside his golf course clubhouse in Bedminster, New Jersey. Here he forcefully confronted the raging issue of escalating consumer prices, choosing a backdrop adorned with tables piled high with groceries to emphasize his point. He criticized the rising costs of groceries and gas, promising prompt resolution upon his victory.
‘As soon as I claim the victory,’ he asserted, ‘the price reduction will kick-start from the very beginning of my term.’ He went further to critique Vice President Kamala Harris’s policies on American energy, which he described as a contradicting war against it. The President promised a counteractive plan to bring down the prices, a plan centered on aggressive drilling for oil, which he believed to be the pivot on which price moderation rested.
At the time when he accepted the nomination as the Republican Presidential candidate at the Republican National Convention, President Trump reiterated the ‘Day 1’ resolutions. He criticized the current scenario where the citizens were grappling with skyrocketing prices and pledged immediate economic relief. His targeted areas for this relief were critical items like groceries and gas, which he believed were rendered unaffordable due to the previous administration’s lousy economic handling.
Unsatisfied with merely pointing out the flaws of the current economic state, Trump proceeded to underline the character of the crisis. He criticized the Biden administration for overseeing an unprecedented increase in the cost of basic goods. He lamented, ‘Under this mandate, the price of groceries is up by an appalling 57%, gasoline by 60 to 70%, and even mortgage rates have quadrupled.’ Trump condemned this stark reality where citizens struggled to secure finances to cater to their basic needs under the current administration.
Scrutiny of data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reveals an alarming hike in food and gas prices during Biden’s term, which lasted from January 2021 to January 2025. Over this period, food prices escalated by approximately 26%, and gas prices soared about 40%.
The company attributed potential causes for this inflation trend to factors such as increasing operating costs, disruptions in the supply chain, and corporate greed for profit. However, the company agreed that no single factor could fully account for the increased cost of food being so substantially higher compared to the pre-pandemic times.
With these statistical revelations, it became clear that the burden on the American consumers was unbearable. The promise made by Trump for the revival of the economy and alleviation of inflated prices may have provided a ray of hope for many. However, considering the false image shared and the criticism levied upon Biden and Harris, one can only hope that reality will eventually mirror these promises.
The subsequent ferocious criticism and ridicule of Biden and Harris, coupled with Trump’s promises, suggest a determined focus on bringing about a significant change. The counterfeit post controversy does little to mask this fact. Be it the promised suppression of rising commodity prices, breaking the shackles of this ‘war on American energy’ or pushing back against the rising tide of inflation, there is a common theme, and that is bringing about relief for the everyday American.
Ultimately, in analyzing the present scenario, one could argue that Trump’s promises of immediate price reductions upon his victory are more of a reaction to the failures of the Biden-Harris administration rather than concrete, innovative policy solutions. However, only time will be the true test of these commitments, as we wait to see whether these assertive declarations are translated into action.