CNN anchor Jake Tapper came out swinging at President Trump over grocery prices. He showed a stack of videos where Trump keeps insisting groceries are “way down.” Saying it over and over does not make it true, and Tapper made that very clear.
On Friday’s edition of The Lead, Tapper played clips from the last two weeks alone. Trump’s words repeated like a chant:
“As you know, groceries are down. It’s all down. Our groceries are down. Because our groceries are down. Grocery prices are way down. And prices are way down. Groceries are down. Everything is down.”
Then came the numbers. Reality does not match Trump’s words. Grocery prices rose 0.3% from August to September. Since Trump took office in January, they have climbed 1.4% on average. Compared to last year, groceries are 2.7% higher.
Every category of food is affected. Coffee is up 18.9%. Beef and veal jumped nearly 15%. Milk, eggs, fruits, and vegetables are all more expensive. Families across the country are feeling the pinch.
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Economists point to normal inflation as one factor. But two of Trump’s policies are making things worse. Tariffs on imported goods, including coffee, push prices up. His crackdown on illegal immigration affects farm workers and labor in food production, which also raises costs.
Repeating “groceries are down” does not make it so. Tapper’s clips show just how persistent Trump is with this claim. Words cannot change what people see in their wallets. Families feel it at every grocery store and checkout line.
This is not just about TV clips. It is about everyday Americans. Rising food costs hit low and middle-income households hardest. No matter how often the president says groceries are falling, it does not lower the price of milk, meat, or coffee.
Tapper’s segment was more than a critique. It is a reminder to check facts, not slogans. Politicians can make claims all they want, but numbers tell the real story. Grocery prices are going up, and repeated statements do not change that.
Watch the full breakdown from Jake Tapper here.
Featured image via X screengrab
