As Connecticut Democrats work to lower the costs of essential goods in an effort to support consumers and the economy, the same can not be said for Republicans at the state and federal level.
In November 2024, as the fallout of the presidential election became clear, one of the most-repeated talking points from pundits and reporters was that inflation was the main issue that swung voters. CBS News exit polls said 75% of voters reported inflation caused hardships for them in 2024, with inflation being their biggest concern in how they cast their votes.
Additionally, President Donald Trump said on several occasions that he would work to address inflation immediately after he took office.
“Prices will come down,” he said in August 2024. “You just watch: They’ll come down, and they’ll come down fast, not only with insurance, with everything.” “When I win, I will immediately bring prices down, starting on day one,” Trump said in August 2024.
“Vote Trump and your incomes will soar. Your net worth will skyrocket. Your energy costs and grocery prices will come tumbling down,” he said at a September rally in Pennsylvania.
Fast forward to the first weeks of the second Trump administration, and while the president has pardoned people convicted of assaulting police officers and launched new attacks on vulnerable Americans, mentions of the cost of eggs and other groceries have gone by the wayside.
The cost of groceries was at the forefront of Republicans’ minds in 2024. Now, in 2025, when prices are soaring?
“They all said inflation was the No. 1 issue. I said, ‘I disagree,’” Trump said in the first week of his presidency. “I talked about inflation too, but how many times can you say that an apple has doubled in cost?”
Democratic Senators have asked Trump’s administration about this sudden change of tone. Arizona U.S. Sen. Ruben Gallego asked Trump on Jan. 23 to take action on the affordability of eggs, specifically citing Trump’s claims that he would directly address the issue.
In Massachusetts, 21 lawmakers raised similar questions in a letter from U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren and U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern, asking Trump to use tools to reduce costs.
So far, Trump has not addressed those letters, but has taken action – that will directly lead to higher prices on American consumers. After a dispute with the nation of Colombia on immigration, when the president threatened blanket tariffs on imports from the nation, the nation responded in kind. While the tariffs are potentially on hold, the cost of Arabica coffee reached record levels in January.
Trump has also announced and then delayed tariffs on U.S. neighbors Canada and Mexico as well as new duties on imports from China, which, according to the Associated Press, has already resulted in retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods entering China.
