President Trump briefly speaks to the press as he leaves the White House on Friday for his Mar-A-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida.
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However, this happened during these first two weeks of the Trump presidency – and it was a lot – a particular thing was visibly absent: the emphasis on prices.
Trump’s promises to lower the cost of living was a great reason for which he was elected, but since he took office, he now said that it was not his absolute priority.
“They all said that inflation was number 1,” said Trump about the presidential campaign when he spoke to supporters of the Capitol following his inauguration speech. “I said,” I don’t agree. I think that people who come to our country prisons and psychiatric institutions are a more important problem for the people I know. “And I did it my n ° 1. I also talked about inflation, but you know how many times can you say that a apple has doubled in cost?”
(It was actually checked Several times, migrants did not come to the country of prisons and psychiatric institutions, but Trump continues to say it.)
Still on Monday, Trump reiterated that immigration is the biggest problem.
“I have always felt that the border was the first,” he said in a speech to the Republicans of the Congress gathered at the Trump National Doral Miami Golf Resort.
“I spoke much more than inflation,” said Trump. “I mean, inflation was terrible. I think it was the worst in the history of our country, but you can only talk about it so long. The price of apples has doubled. The price of bacon has quadrupled .
Recent inflation culminated at 9.1% in June 2022. It was the highest since 1981, but it was not the highest of all time. The most recent inflation data show that it fell to 2.9%.
A high problem that Trump said he would solve
Without a doubt, however, pre -countryic prices and high interest rates intended to slow down inflation put Americans in bad mood – and that’s a great reason, otherwise THE Reason, Trump won in 2024.
He said it himself.
“I won on the border and won shopping,” said Trump on NBC Meet the press In his first interview after the elections. “When you buy apples, when you buy bacon, when you buy eggs, they would double and triple the price over a short period, and I have won an election according to this. We will reduce these prices.”
He made similar promises on the economy during the campaign and published an ad saying that he would “fix“(as well as immigration). He Tell a voter In a town hall in Pennsylvania in October: “We will reduce your prices.”
As president, Trump seeks to extend his broad tax reductions, to explore oil exploration and to deregulate the industry – things that, according to him Experts already consider a strong economy.
“My administration acts at an unprecedented speed to repair the disasters that we have inherited from a group of completely inept people and to resolve each crisis against our country,” Trump told the World Economic Forum gathered in Davos, Switzerland, Last week. “It starts with the confrontation of economic chaos caused by the failure of the policies of the last administration.”
Trump has signed decrees by declaring an energy “crisis” and ordering the executive branch to find ways to reduce prices. This included efforts to deregulate efficiency standards on household appliances – everything, from ampoules to shower stoves.
He also ordered agencies to stop finance everything related to the fight against climate change; He frozen foreign aid; And he says he wants to eliminate waste, fraud and abuse thanks to an effort led by Tesla and the head of SpaceX Elon Musk, who is the richest person in the world.
Experts are doubtful that these initiatives will have an effect on the prices of the grocery store.
In addition, Trump said that he would impose 25% prices in Canada and Mexico and 10% additional prices in China, from this Saturday. These efforts, Experts also providecould generate the prices of many things that people buy – and gas price – higher.
A different objective
The president of Trump as president, however, has so far been on other questions – mass deportations, redo the federal government and Implementation of a right ideology that blames societal evils and government failures on policies of diversity, equity and inclusion, or Dei.
This even includes the fatal plane crash near the Washington National Reagan Airport this week – even if he has admitted that the facts are not yet known to what has really happened.
“We do not know what led to this accident, but we have very strong opinions and ideas,” said Trump at a white house press conference on Thursday “and I will probably say these opinions NOW.”
And he did – in what was a polished and clear gap of the status responses of the former presidents after similar disasters. When the disasters struck during their mandates, they clearly indicated that their intention was to sympathize with families, to promise the support necessary for the federal government and to try to keep the country calm.
Later, journalists asked Trump if he intended to Visit the accident site – something typical for elected leaders. He replied:
“I have a plan to visit, not the site. Because you tell me, what is the site? Water? Do you want me to swim?”
For many voters, prices were the problem
Many of Trump’s first actions are probably not what the many people who went through the affiliation of the parties to vote for him had in mind when they chose to put it into office.
During the campaign, NPR heard indecisive voters – some who did not want to provide their complete names, citing security problems – on how the prices of the grocery store, the lack of affordable housing and the rates of High interest had them on the fence and potentially tip to Trump.
For exampleBrady, a Wisconsin voter, who voted for Obama twice, told NPR in September that he preferred not to “go through four years of Trump’s presidency”, but “things have become more expensive. Probably an environment – the income for my family, and he does not feel like becoming easier – even if my wife and I have progressed in our career. “
Another undermarket voter then, John de Miami, said that he considered himself a “liberal democratic union” also voted for Obama twice and volunteered on the campaigns of Bill Clinton. But he said he was considering Trump because he wanted a candidate to “stop inflation”.
“I think Joe Biden did his best,” he said. “If he could just grasp the horns of inflation – things are through the roof. It has gone mad.”
It was the kind of thing heard several times during the presidential campaign.
Outside the main base of Trump supporters, prices were he For many voters. What they saw in place during the first two weeks of the administration was something very different: the emphasis on the problems of cultural war, tries to dismantle the federal workforce, licensed Staff of the Ministry of Justice who worked on criminal surveys on Trump – and ask the FBI senior those responsible must resign or be dismissed.
The country is about to know if its approach affects its political position or if the voters think that it goes too far.
