Fact Check: Trump’s Claims About Democrats’ Affordability Talk and Inflation Prove Misleading

President Trump’s Claims on Inflation and Affordability Contradict Economic Data

President Donald Trump made a series of assertions about the state of the economy during a recent Fox News interview in Iowa, claiming inflation has been “solved” and prices are “coming way down.” However, economic data and market realities tell a significantly different story.

“You know, inflation we’ve solved; it’s done,” Trump said during his Iowa campaign stop. “We have it good where prices are coming way down. They were just saying, in Iowa the fuel is $1.95. Did you hear that? Somebody said $1.85.”

The president went on to claim that grocery prices have fallen across the board and suggested Democrats have stopped discussing affordability issues altogether. A fact check of these statements reveals substantial inaccuracies across multiple economic indicators.

Contrary to Trump’s claim that inflation is “done,” price increases continue across the economy. December 2025 data from the Consumer Price Index shows prices rose 0.3% from November and are up 2.7% from the previous year. While this represents moderate inflation rather than the higher rates seen earlier in his term, it contradicts the assertion that inflation has been eliminated.

The president’s statement that “everything’s come down” regarding prices is similarly misleading. Overall consumer prices have increased during his current term, with December 2025 seasonally adjusted prices sitting 2.2% higher than January 2025 when he took office for his second term. Year-over-year, prices are up 2.7% from December 2024.

Grocery prices specifically contradict Trump’s characterization that “it’s all down.” The December 2025 Consumer Price Index for groceries showed a 0.7% increase from November—the largest month-to-month jump in more than three years. While this spike may have been influenced by data collection issues during the fall government shutdown, the broader trend remains clear: grocery prices are up 1.9% since January 2025. While egg prices have indeed decreased significantly, as Trump correctly noted, price increases have affected many more grocery categories than have seen decreases.

The president’s claims about Iowa gas prices were immediately challenged, even by attendees at his own event. Trump stated fuel in Iowa costs “$1.95” or even “$1.85” per gallon, but the state average on the day of his remarks was $2.57 per gallon, according to AAA data. This represents a decrease from $2.94 a year earlier, but nowhere near the dramatic drop Trump suggested from “$3.50, $4.50.”

Analysis from GasBuddy found just four stations in Iowa selling gas for $1.97 per gallon—representing only 0.19% of the 2,036 stations tracked in the state. In a notable moment, when Trump mentioned the $1.95 price during his Iowa speech, someone in the audience shouted a correction: “No, $2.63.” The gas station nearest to Trump’s speaking venue was charging $2.69 per gallon.

Trump’s assertion that Democrats have abandoned affordability as a talking point also contradicts readily available evidence. The Democratic National Committee continues to emphasize affordability in its communications, and Democratic leaders in Congress regularly address the issue in public remarks.

State-level Democratic officials have placed particular emphasis on affordability initiatives. Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger promised in her mid-January inaugural address to “work relentlessly to make life more affordable for our fellow Virginians” before signing related executive orders. New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill denounced an “affordability crisis” in her recent inaugural speech, while New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has made affordability central to his early policy agenda.

At the federal level, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer recently unveiled proposals focused on housing affordability, promising that “every day, every week, every month this year, Democrats will put costs front and center on our agenda.”

The disconnect between Trump’s economic claims and verifiable data points to a pattern of misrepresentation regarding inflation, prices, and political discourse—providing voters with an inaccurate picture of economic conditions as the next election cycle approaches.