Commentary by Stephen Macaulay

In August 2024, while campaigning, then-candidate Donald Trump, surrounded by milk, meat, eggs, and packaged foods — items that he was later to begin calling “the groceries,” which he defined as “a bag with different things in it” — said he would reduce prices to consumers “on day one,” the same day he was going to end the war in Ukraine.

This reduced-grocery prices claim became one of his pledges throughout the campaign, along with …

• border and immigration efforts focused on “the worst of the worst” (according to CBS News, citing a Department of Homeland Security document, “Less than 14% of the nearly 400,000 immigrants arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in President Trump’s first year back in the White House had charges or convictions for violent criminal offenses,” which pretty much puts the lie to that “worst” claim); 
• he would put tariffs on those countries that have been “ripping us off” (curiously, there is a 50% tariff on goods from Brazil and we have a trade surplus with that country, which makes the “ripping us off” remark somewhat odd) and would grow US manufacturing (according to the National Association of Manufacturers, “Employment in the sector has been in decline over the past year,” with said year being 2025);
• he would reduce energy prices by 50% within 12 months and as a result, “everything comes down” in terms of their prices (January 20, 2026, 12 months later, no one has seen their energy costs go down by 50% unless they’ve stopped driving and decided they really don’t need to use their appliances or furnace).

On February 13 the US Bureau of Labor Statistics released its Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers, which was hailed as a victory for the administration, as there was a mere 0.2% increase in January over December. Almost nothing.

Thing is, very few people only bought things in January. So another set of numbers in the BLS release need to be considered.

These are the “Unadjusted 12-mons. ended Jan. 26.”

In other words, the tracking of the rise since January 2025.

“All items” are up 2.4%, which is certainly more than that 0.2%.

Food? Up 2.1%.

Energy is down — but 49.9% off Trump’s 50% decrease number. It is down 0.1%.

But those using electricity saw a 6.3% rise, and those who have natural gas piped to their homes saw a 9.8% increase.

Apparel? Up 1.7%. Shelter? Up 2.9%. Need medical care? Up 3.9%.

In other words, the groceries have gone up in price as have plenty of other consumer products.

Meanwhile, the president is spending his time on things like ballrooms and arches … and golf.

On more than one occasion Donald Trump criticized Barack Obama for spending too much time playing golf and not enough time doing the job he was elected to do.

In his two terms in office Obama played golf 333 times. That was 113 in his first term and 220 in his second.

During his first term Trump played golf 261 times. According to didtrumpgolftoday.com, he has played golf 97 days out of his 392 days back in office. 

261 + 97= 358.

And he still has nearly three years to go.

Yes, the man is working hard to bring down prices for the American people, just like he said he would.