(DCNF)—President Donald Trump told supporters Tuesday at a Pennsylvania rally that data and price trends show the economy is improving.
Trump delivered remarks about the U.S. economy as he argued the country is making progress despite voters’ concerns about the cost of living. Speaking at the event, Trump said consumers see relief across core household expenses, including health care, groceries, gasoline and rent.
“Under Obamacare, trillions of dollars were given directly to health insurance companies. Their stocks are up 1,700% in a very short period of time. Would you say that’s good? Obamacare’s primary purpose was to pay off insurance companies. You know, the insurance companies back the Democrats very heavily,” Trump said. “I want to give billions of dollars directly to the people. I want to take all of the billions and billions and actually trillions, but over a period of time. And I want to give all of that money we give to the big, fat, rich insurance companies. I don’t want to give them nothing.”
Trump said individuals should purchase their own coverage and not rely on government-directed plans.
“Now you see the numbers because your premiums are going up on Obamacare, and everything is forcing everything on. But we want the money to go directly to the people. We want you to go out and buy your own health insurance, and you’ll get much better health insurance at a much lower [cost]. Everybody knows this is the best way to go. But the Democrats, they’re bought and owned by the insurance companies,” Trump said. “So let’s see how many of them have the guts to vote for this. You know, we’re putting in bills where all of that money, hundreds of billions of dollars, goes to the people to go out and buy your own health care.”
Trump then discussed food prices and said egg prices have dropped.
“They said, ‘Sir, we’re going to buy plastic eggs this year. Plastic eggs. We don’t have enough eggs to go around.’ I said, ‘You’re going to buy regular eggs. And by the time Easter comes, we’re going to have so many eggs you’re not going to know what to do,” Trump said. “You’re not buying plastic.’ And we didn’t. Brooke Rollins, our Secretary of Agriculture, did an incredible job, and eggs dropped like a rock. We ended up buying a lot of eggs, but the price of eggs is down now, 80% since March.”
Trump compared egg prices under his leadership to those under former President Joe Biden.
“We have two price charts. You remember the last time I pointed to a chart? My all-time favorite chart was the one I had in Butler [Penn.]. I don’t care how good that chart looks — I like the Butler chart. That one showed how strong employment was and more. But look at this: Biden price increases versus Trump price changes,” Trump added. “Under Biden, prices jumped 37%, 24%, 22%, 21%, 30.7%, 30.7% again, 10.4% and 49%. Under Trump, prices went down 5.1%, 4.2%, 0.5%, down 4%, 2 points and 2.9%. Look at that. Our prices are coming down. Their prices aren’t. It’s a hoax.”
In May, new government data showed grocery prices fell more in April than at any time since 2020, driven largely by a decline in egg prices. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the average price of a dozen Grade A eggs dropped more than 12% for the month — the biggest monthly fall since 1984 — as overall grocery prices posted their steepest drop since September 2020.
On energy, Trump said domestic oil production reached record levels, pushing gas prices lower nationwide. He told the crowd that at least four states recently reported gasoline prices as low as $1.99 per gallon, calling it proof that expanded drilling works.
The national average price for regular gasoline dropped below $3 last week for the first time in four years, falling to $2.99, as analysts pointed to weaker demand, cheaper winter-blend fuel and crude prices hovering near $60 a barrel.
Trump added that housing and food costs are easing. He said rent prices have fallen and dairy prices are dropping quickly.
“So rent prices are down. Dairy prices are coming down very strongly. The cost of Thanksgiving turkeys was down by 33% compared to the Biden era. You know what you did during the Biden era for Thanksgiving?” Trump asked. “You said, ‘Oh my God, this is terrible.’ It was a rotten Thanksgiving. And Walmart, I thank them. You know, they came out with a big, like sort of a numbers thing, a chart, and they had 25% less. So that’s pretty good. A Thanksgiving meal with all of the trimmings is 25% less under Trump than it was a year ago, under Biden. That’s a good start. We’re bringing it down.”
It was reported last month that several staple Thanksgiving dinner items were set to cost slightly less than last year, extending a three-year streak of declining prices, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation. The group’s annual survey estimated a classic Thanksgiving meal for 10 people will cost $55.18 — about $5.52 per person — reflecting a roughly 5% drop from 2024.
The American Farm Bureau Federation previously reported that the average cost of a Thanksgiving meal hit a record $64.05 in 2022, when Biden was in office. Meanwhile, GasBuddy projected the national average gas price as about $3.02 per gallon on Thanksgiving Day, among the cheapest holiday levels since 2021, as analysts expect Americans to spend hundreds of billions on holiday shopping and travel this season.
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