Has Trump saved his promise to sort out rising costs?

[ad_1] Tom Edgington BBC Confirm, Washington DC

<img sizes="(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/240/cpsprodpb/f5e3/live/b05d3a60-ba82-11f0-98a7-ed301ba6f979.png.webp 240w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/f5e3/live/b05d3a60-ba82-11f0-98a7-ed301ba6f979.png.webp 320w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/f5e3/live/b05d3a60-ba82-11f0-98a7-ed301ba6f979.png.webp 480w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/640/cpsprodpb/f5e3/live/b05d3a60-ba82-11f0-98a7-ed301ba6f979.png.webp 640w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/800/cpsprodpb/f5e3/live/b05d3a60-ba82-11f0-98a7-ed301ba6f979.png.webp 800w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/cpsprodpb/f5e3/live/b05d3a60-ba82-11f0-98a7-ed301ba6f979.png.webp 1024w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1536/cpsprodpb/f5e3/live/b05d3a60-ba82-11f0-98a7-ed301ba6f979.png.webp 1536w" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/f5e3/live/b05d3a60-ba82-11f0-98a7-ed301ba6f979.png.webp" loading="eager" alt="Getty Images Donald Trump in a suit gesturing towards grocery items" class="sc-5340b511-0 hLdNfA"/> Getty Photographs President Donald Trump was swept to energy for a second time on the again of a central marketing campaign promise to sort out inflation.

The steep rise in the price of dwelling was high of voters' minds and Trump blamed President Joe Biden.

He additionally made sweeping guarantees to convey down costs for People "beginning on day one".

One yr on from his victory, BBC Confirm revisits a number of the president's claims.

Groceries

"After I win, I'll instantly convey costs down, beginning on Day One," Trump declared at an August 2024 information convention surrounded by packaged meals, milk, meats and eggs.

Official information - which features a four-month interval when Biden was nonetheless president - reveals grocery costs rose by 2.7% within the 12 months to September 2025, with some objects seeing considerably sharper will increase:

Espresso: 18.9percentGround beef (minced beef): 12.9percentBananas: 6.9% Since Trump took workplace in January, the info additionally reveals that other than one recorded fall in April, grocery costs have risen every month.

"The president of the USA has little or no management over the value of meals, particularly within the brief time period," meals economics skilled Professor David Ortega advised BBC Confirm.

Trump's tariffs are driving up costs of sure meals, he stated - a 3rd of espresso consumed within the US comes from Brazil and subsequently has a 50% tariff.

Trump's unlawful immigration crackdown may have had an influence, Ortega provides, particularly in farming the place as many as 40% of employees are estimated to be undocumented, which is near one million folks.

"As you already know, farmers and corporations have to boost wages so as to appeal to extra labour. However attempting to quantify these impacts when it comes to value improve is nearly inconceivable for the time being."

Diane Swonk, the chief economist for KPMG, believes tariff and immigration coverage modifications have contributed to larger prices.

"There is no query that these shifts are actually beginning to present up as inflation pressures," she stated.

However she provides that different components, together with climate occasions, have contributed.

"On espresso you had local weather points for a really unhealthy rising season and that was exacerbated by a tariff on Brazil and in addition Colombia," she stated.

<img sizes="(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/240/cpsprodpb/49d9/live/303263e0-ba89-11f0-ba75-093eca1ac29b.jpg.webp 240w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/49d9/live/303263e0-ba89-11f0-ba75-093eca1ac29b.jpg.webp 320w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/49d9/live/303263e0-ba89-11f0-ba75-093eca1ac29b.jpg.webp 480w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/640/cpsprodpb/49d9/live/303263e0-ba89-11f0-ba75-093eca1ac29b.jpg.webp 640w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/800/cpsprodpb/49d9/live/303263e0-ba89-11f0-ba75-093eca1ac29b.jpg.webp 800w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/cpsprodpb/49d9/live/303263e0-ba89-11f0-ba75-093eca1ac29b.jpg.webp 1024w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1536/cpsprodpb/49d9/live/303263e0-ba89-11f0-ba75-093eca1ac29b.jpg.webp 1536w" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/49d9/live/303263e0-ba89-11f0-ba75-093eca1ac29b.jpg.webp" loading="lazy" alt="Getty Images A woman examines a carton of eggs in a grocery store" class="sc-5340b511-0 hLdNfA"/> Getty Photographs A White Home official advised BBC Confirm President Trump didn't management climate patterns in South America and low costs hikes had been a world phenomenon.

Knowledge that tracks the price of espresso reveals costs have risen globally, peaking in February, however are actually falling.

The identical official stated the president was addressing rising beef costs by quickly rising imports.

Whereas grocery costs are up general, not each merchandise has turn into dearer.

When Trump succeeded Biden in January, the value of a dozen giant eggs was $4.93 (£3.79), rising to a document excessive of $6.23 (£4.78) in March following fowl flu outbreaks.

Since then costs have fallen to $3.49 (£2.68) a dozen.

"President Trump's supply-side insurance policies are taming Joe Biden's inflation disaster," White Home Spokesman Kush Desai stated.

Different objects which have fallen in value over the previous 12 months embody: butter and margarine (-2%), ice cream (-0.7%) and frozen greens (-0.7%).

Electrical energy

Throughout his marketing campaign, Trump pledged to chop electrical energy payments sharply.

"Below my administration we will likely be slashing vitality and electrical energy costs by half inside 12 months, at a most 18 months," he advised a rally in August 2024.

Since he turned president, costs have risen.

The newest figures present common residential electrical energy charges reached 17.62 cents per kWh (kilowatt hour) in August 2025 - up from 15.94 cents per kWh in January 2025, in line with the US Vitality Info Administration.

<img sizes="(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/240/cpsprodpb/0b48/live/e05bcc80-ba83-11f0-aa13-0b0479f6f42a.png.webp 240w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/0b48/live/e05bcc80-ba83-11f0-aa13-0b0479f6f42a.png.webp 320w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/0b48/live/e05bcc80-ba83-11f0-aa13-0b0479f6f42a.png.webp 480w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/640/cpsprodpb/0b48/live/e05bcc80-ba83-11f0-aa13-0b0479f6f42a.png.webp 640w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/800/cpsprodpb/0b48/live/e05bcc80-ba83-11f0-aa13-0b0479f6f42a.png.webp 800w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/cpsprodpb/0b48/live/e05bcc80-ba83-11f0-aa13-0b0479f6f42a.png.webp 1024w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1536/cpsprodpb/0b48/live/e05bcc80-ba83-11f0-aa13-0b0479f6f42a.png.webp 1536w" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/0b48/live/e05bcc80-ba83-11f0-aa13-0b0479f6f42a.png.webp" loading="lazy" alt="A line graph that shows the average retail price of electricity in cost per cents per kilowatt hour, between August 2024 and August 2025. It shows that the price has risen to 17.62 cents per kWh as of August 2025. " class="sc-5340b511-0 hLdNfA"/> "It was technically inconceivable [to halve prices] on the time he made the promise," in line with Professor James Sweeney from the Stanford Precourt Institute for Vitality.

Electrical energy costs not solely replicate the price of era but in addition the expense of delivering it by "the wires and the transformers and every part else", he defined.

Prof Sweeney attributes the rise to each demand and provide points.

"Now we have a surge in demand largely pushed by information centres. Individuals creating photographs utilizing synthetic intelligence are utilizing vital quantities of electrical energy."

<img sizes="(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/240/cpsprodpb/08e4/live/6de9f360-ba89-11f0-aa13-0b0479f6f42a.jpg.webp 240w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/08e4/live/6de9f360-ba89-11f0-aa13-0b0479f6f42a.jpg.webp 320w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/08e4/live/6de9f360-ba89-11f0-aa13-0b0479f6f42a.jpg.webp 480w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/640/cpsprodpb/08e4/live/6de9f360-ba89-11f0-aa13-0b0479f6f42a.jpg.webp 640w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/800/cpsprodpb/08e4/live/6de9f360-ba89-11f0-aa13-0b0479f6f42a.jpg.webp 800w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/cpsprodpb/08e4/live/6de9f360-ba89-11f0-aa13-0b0479f6f42a.jpg.webp 1024w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1536/cpsprodpb/08e4/live/6de9f360-ba89-11f0-aa13-0b0479f6f42a.jpg.webp 1536w" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/08e4/live/6de9f360-ba89-11f0-aa13-0b0479f6f42a.jpg.webp" loading="lazy" alt="Getty Images A technician working on an immersion cooling system in a data center for cryptocurrency mining, cloud services and AI computing" class="sc-5340b511-0 hLdNfA"/> Getty Photographs Prof Sweeney says there was a surge in demand for electrical energy largely pushed by information centres.

He added that cuts to renewable vitality subsidies and tariffs on imported metal - which increase the price of constructing new energy turbines - have additionally pushed up costs.

Swonk agreed that the AI growth is pushing up costs, particularly for these on decrease incomes.

"It exacerbates inequality as a result of customers which have extra entry to photo voltaic panels and renewables are usually wealthier households," she stated.

In response a White Home official stated that Trump was increasing coal, pure fuel and nuclear energy, which was "the one viable strategy to meet the rising vitality demand and to decrease vitality costs".

Vehicles

At a marketing campaign rally in September 2024, Trump prolonged his grocery pledge to vehicles, telling supporters: "We will get the costs down… groceries, vehicles, every part".

Nonetheless, the typical value of a brand new automobile topped $50,000 (£38,411) for the primary time ever in September, up from $48,283 (£37,092) in January in line with Kelley Blue Ebook, a US automobile valuation analysis firm.

<img sizes="(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/240/cpsprodpb/a2c4/live/0284bc10-ba87-11f0-b2a1-6f537f66f9aa.png.webp 240w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/a2c4/live/0284bc10-ba87-11f0-b2a1-6f537f66f9aa.png.webp 320w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/a2c4/live/0284bc10-ba87-11f0-b2a1-6f537f66f9aa.png.webp 480w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/640/cpsprodpb/a2c4/live/0284bc10-ba87-11f0-b2a1-6f537f66f9aa.png.webp 640w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/800/cpsprodpb/a2c4/live/0284bc10-ba87-11f0-b2a1-6f537f66f9aa.png.webp 800w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/cpsprodpb/a2c4/live/0284bc10-ba87-11f0-b2a1-6f537f66f9aa.png.webp 1024w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1536/cpsprodpb/a2c4/live/0284bc10-ba87-11f0-b2a1-6f537f66f9aa.png.webp 1536w" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/a2c4/live/0284bc10-ba87-11f0-b2a1-6f537f66f9aa.png.webp" loading="lazy" alt="A line chart showing the average cost of a new vehicle in the US, between September 2024 and September 2025. It shows that the average price reached $50,080 in September 2025 - the first time the cost has topped $50,000. " class="sc-5340b511-0 hLdNfA"/> Automotive costs usually rise 2-3% a yr, defined Erin Keating from Cox Automotive.

"Tariffs, which have been the most important issue within the automotive business over the past 12 months, have been nothing however inflationary."

She defined new automobile costs are rising by about 4% a yr, with tariffs contributing not less than one proportion level.

"We actually assume in 2026 that is going to go larger as a result of many of the producers are holding their hearth on elevating costs straight as a consequence of tariffs, however they will have to come back in in some unspecified time in the future."

Keating did level to tax breaks for folks in Trump's spending invoice, which she believes could incentivise folks to purchase new vehicles.

When requested concerning the rising value of vehicles, a White Home official advised BBC Confirm the administration had taken historic regulatory actions to "reverse the left's radical vitality rip-off and save billions yearly".

<img sizes="(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/240/cpsprodpb/5c7a/live/9b19d520-ba8a-11f0-ba75-093eca1ac29b.jpg.webp 240w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/5c7a/live/9b19d520-ba8a-11f0-ba75-093eca1ac29b.jpg.webp 320w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/5c7a/live/9b19d520-ba8a-11f0-ba75-093eca1ac29b.jpg.webp 480w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/640/cpsprodpb/5c7a/live/9b19d520-ba8a-11f0-ba75-093eca1ac29b.jpg.webp 640w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/800/cpsprodpb/5c7a/live/9b19d520-ba8a-11f0-ba75-093eca1ac29b.jpg.webp 800w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/cpsprodpb/5c7a/live/9b19d520-ba8a-11f0-ba75-093eca1ac29b.jpg.webp 1024w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1536/cpsprodpb/5c7a/live/9b19d520-ba8a-11f0-ba75-093eca1ac29b.jpg.webp 1536w" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/5c7a/live/9b19d520-ba8a-11f0-ba75-093eca1ac29b.jpg.webp" loading="lazy" alt="Getty Images US President Donald Trump exits a Tesla Model S vehicle on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington" class="sc-5340b511-0 hLdNfA"/> Getty Photographs A White Home official stated the administration had taken historic regulatory actions to "save billions yearly".

Gasoline

<img sizes="(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/240/cpsprodpb/233a/live/95369560-363e-11f0-8947-7d6241f9fce9.png.webp 240w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/233a/live/95369560-363e-11f0-8947-7d6241f9fce9.png.webp 320w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/233a/live/95369560-363e-11f0-8947-7d6241f9fce9.png.webp 480w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/640/cpsprodpb/233a/live/95369560-363e-11f0-8947-7d6241f9fce9.png.webp 640w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/800/cpsprodpb/233a/live/95369560-363e-11f0-8947-7d6241f9fce9.png.webp 800w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/cpsprodpb/233a/live/95369560-363e-11f0-8947-7d6241f9fce9.png.webp 1024w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1536/cpsprodpb/233a/live/95369560-363e-11f0-8947-7d6241f9fce9.png.webp 1536w" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/233a/live/95369560-363e-11f0-8947-7d6241f9fce9.png.webp" loading="lazy" alt="BBC Verify banner" class="sc-5340b511-0 hLdNfA"/> [ad_2] Source link