Fact Check: Grocery Prices Have Not Fallen Under Trump
Qwenews.com – Fact check: President Donald Trump has repeatedly claimed that grocery prices “have come way down” during his current term. Federal inflation data does not support that description. Grocery costs and overall consumer prices have increased since he returned to office.
Speaking with reporters on Sunday, Trump said grocery prices had fallen substantially since Joe Biden left office.
“The prices for groceries have come way down from Biden. Almost every price has come way down.”
He later made a broader claim, saying that, except for oil, “everything is going down.” The available Consumer Price Index data shows the opposite: from January 2025 through August 2026, seasonally adjusted grocery prices rose 3.4%, while consumer prices across the economy increased 4.8%.
Most grocery departments cost more
This fact check finds that price increases reached most major food-at-home categories. Five of the six broad grocery categories tracked in the Consumer Price Index recorded meaningful gains between January 2025 and August 2026.
Cereals and bakery products rose 3.3%. Meat, poultry, fish and eggs increased 3%. Fruits and vegetables climbed 4.6%, while nonalcoholic beverages and related ingredients rose 6.3%. Other food consumed at home increased 3%.
Dairy and related products were the exception, staying largely unchanged over the period. But relatively stable dairy costs do not erase increases across much of a typical supermarket bill.
Lower egg prices do not show broad grocery relief
Trump has frequently highlighted eggs, and egg prices did decline. They fell 31.1% from January 2025 through August 2026 after surging late in Biden’s presidency amid an avian flu outbreak. That decline, however, is an unusual case rather than evidence of a broad fall in grocery prices.
No other food item or larger grocery category saw a decrease close to the egg-price drop. Some familiar products became markedly more expensive: coffee prices were 21.8% higher, while the beef-and-veal category increased 16.5%. Many other products posted more modest gains.
Inflation has also risen above the level Trump inherited
Trump also said the country had inherited “the worst inflation in the history of our country” and that inflation was “going really down.” This fact check finds both parts of that characterization misleading or inaccurate.
“We inherited the worst inflation in the history of our country, and it’s going really down.”
The annual inflation rate was 2.9% in December 2024, Biden’s final complete month in office, and 3% in January 2025, when Trump returned to the presidency. It reached 3.4% in both July and August 2026, placing it above the rate at the start of Trump’s term.
Inflation did peak at 9.1% in June 2022, the highest reading in more than four decades, but it was not the highest in US history. The all-time peak was 23.7%, and inflation had declined significantly from its 2022 high before Trump took office again.
Since the start of the Iran war in late February, annual inflation has remained above 3% for six consecutive months. It rose from March through May, declined in June and July, and held steady in August.
What this means for US shoppers
Individual trips to the store can feel different depending on what a household buys. A shopper purchasing eggs may see real savings, while someone buying coffee, beef, fruit or packaged foods may encounter higher prices. The overall grocery measure captures those combined costs rather than a single item.
Broad claims that grocery prices have fallen require broad declines across food categories. The federal data instead shows that groceries overall cost more than they did at the beginning of Trump’s current term.
FAQ
Did grocery prices fall during Trump’s current term?
No. From January 2025 through August 2026, seasonally adjusted grocery prices increased 3.4%, according to Consumer Price Index data.
Why might some US shoppers feel that prices are lower?
Prices vary by product. Eggs fell 31.1% over the period, but most major grocery categories increased, and some items, including coffee and beef and veal, rose sharply.
Does a lower inflation rate mean prices are falling?
Not necessarily. Inflation measures how quickly prices are changing. Prices can continue rising even when inflation slows; prices must actually decline for consumers to pay less overall.