Trump takes credit for making groceries affordable for Americans — but there's a problem
President Donald Trump recently gave the longest State Of The Union address in the history of the United States, during which he outlined several accomplishments from his second term. One of the things that he highlighted was the declining prices of beef, chicken, and eggs. However, the data tells a different story, as Americans have been struggling with affordability for several months now, and the prices of protein products have not been safe from inflation.
It is important to mention that the prices of eggs have indeed come down significantly, but experts believe that is due to demand and supply factors in specific markets, and not the Trump administration’s policies, as per a report in CNBC. Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows that the average price of a dozen large Grade A eggs has declined by about 59% from March 2025. The price is $2.58 per dozen in January, down from a record high of $6.23 per dozen.
Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for chicken or beef. The case of beef is especially curious, as ever since Trump took office, prices of beef products have been soaring. The situation has come to pass due to lower cattle supply and increased demand among U.S. households. Supply of US cattle has been at its lowest in decades, with only 27.6 million beef cows in the country as of January 1.
The report also claims that this is the lowest supply of US beef cattle since 1961. Several factors contributed to this decline, the most significant of which could be considered to be the persistent drought that has deteriorated pasture conditions in which these cows are raised. It wouldn’t cost as much to raise cattle under favorable conditions, but as it stands, farmers are forced to ship in hay from other parts of the country to feed the cows, which raises costs.
Many farmers have even sold off female cows instead of raising them and their calves for the future. This has also led to a drop in cattle supply. “It’s hard to produce more beef when you lack the cattle to do that,” said Amy Smith, a food economist at Advanced Economic Solutions. Ground beef cost $6.75 per pound in January, the highest level on record, as per the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Prices have increased 22% over the past year, from $5.55 per pound in January 2025.
Trump’s claim is also disputed by data when it comes to chicken prices. Average prices for chicken are up about 1% over the past year, according to the Consumer Price Index. One pound of boneless chicken breast cost $4.17 in January, up from $3.97 a year earlier. However, unlike beef, chicken supply has remained steady throughout.
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