Donald Trump recently spoke about rising consumer prices, including the cost of eggs, during a press meeting on April 18. He called attention to the stark increase in egg prices that took consumers by surprise earlier this year. He’s very focused on reducing costs for American consumers as well. Recent data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics confirms this stunning increase in egg prices for the month of February. This new knowledge has created an exciting national conversation.
In February, eggs hit a historic high of $5.90 per dozen. That’s almost a dollar more than the price of $4.95 per dozen in January! And consumers are understandably concerned about this jump. As every political operator in Washington knows, during his first week in office, Trump was shocked to discover that people were tweeting at him about egg prices.
“Eggs, which they — you hit me so hard. I’ll never forget the first day, the first week in office, they were screaming at me about eggs.” – Donald Trump
In fact, during his remarks, Trump admitted that the public outcry about high egg prices got his attention. He recalled how individuals expressed skepticism about having enough eggs for Easter, stating, “They said you won’t have eggs for Easter. Well, you can have all the eggs you want.”
Like Trump’s boast that egg prices had dropped 87%, this one was immediately challenged by the Department of Agriculture itself. As of April 19, the national average wholesale price of eggs hit a record $3.13 per dozen. That’s a modest uptick over last week. Analysts argue that it’s outside influences that are inflating and deflating egg prices. They point out that the changes are due to the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic and geopolitical turmoil stemming from the war in Ukraine, not any particular policy moves made by Trump.
Lowering grocery costs sprang to the fore of Trump’s speech as one of his top priorities. This promise will be key as he runs for the 2024 presidential — and any future — nomination. He also commended Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins for her work on these fronts.
“You can have all the eggs you want. We have too many eggs. In fact, if anything, the prices are getting too low. So I just want to let you know that the prices are down,” – Donald Trump
Average Americans are still being hit hard by increasing food bills. His administration’s plans to address these issues are still a hot topic as he lays the groundwork for re-election.