President Donald Trump on Thursday insisted that his administration has made life more affordable for Americans, citing lower energy costs and efforts to reduce prices on select goods. He posted on social media that inflationary pressures are waning and declared, “STOP LYIN’ — we fixed it.”
However, recent market data and consumer reports tell a different story. Retail giants show average price hikes of 5.5 % at Target, 5.3 % at Walmart, and over 12 % at Amazon on items ranging from furniture to electronics. Tariffs on imports such as bananas, beef and sofas—introduced under Trump’s trade policy—are cited as driving higher costs for households.
Food inflation may have slowed to around 3.1 %, yet key items remain expensive: steak is up more than 19 %, ground beef up 14 %, bananas up 8.6 %, and coffee up 41 % compared with the previous year. Furniture and bedding rose 4.7 % in a year, while overall furniture imports jumped nearly 9.5 %.
Economists warn that tariffs intended to revive manufacturing are now filtering through to consumers—and the real impact may only show up later in items such as toys, autos and furniture. Meanwhile, average Americans say affordability remains the top issue heading into 2026.