Fact check: Trump falsely claims grocery prices are down

CNN - Apr 17th, 2025
Open on CNN

President Donald Trump has inaccurately claimed that grocery prices are decreasing, despite Consumer Price Index data showing a 2.41% increase in March 2025 compared to March 2024. This claim was made in the context of criticizing Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell for not lowering interest rates, similar to actions taken by the European Central Bank. Trump linked his tariff policies to economic growth, suggesting the U.S. is benefiting from tariffs, but experts warn these tariffs will likely lead to slower growth and higher inflation.

The context of Trump's claims includes ongoing economic challenges and complexities, such as rising grocery prices even before his recent imposition of near-global 10% tariffs. The tariffs, expected to further increase grocery costs, come amid debates about their economic impact, with oil prices having declined partly due to fears over Trump's trade policies. Despite a minuscule overall price drop in March 2025, prices remain higher than when Trump took office, and while egg prices have experienced volatility due to an avian flu outbreak, overall consumer prices have not shown the downward trend Trump suggests.

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RATING

6.8
Fair Story
Consider it well-founded

The article provides a mostly accurate and timely analysis of President Trump's economic claims, focusing on grocery prices, tariffs, and other economic indicators. Its strength lies in its use of data to refute inaccurate statements and its relevance to current economic debates. However, the article could improve by incorporating a broader range of perspectives and providing more detailed evidence for some of its claims. The piece is well-written and accessible, making it easy for readers to follow the arguments presented. While it addresses potentially controversial topics, it maintains a balanced and evidence-based approach, encouraging critical engagement without provoking undue polarization. Overall, the article effectively informs readers about important economic issues and encourages them to think critically about the information presented by public officials.

RATING DETAILS

7
Accuracy

The article makes several factual claims regarding grocery prices, tariffs, and economic indicators. It accurately cites Consumer Price Index data to refute President Trump's claim that grocery prices are going down, showing instead that they have risen by 2.41% year-over-year. The article also correctly identifies the imposition of 10% tariffs by Trump and discusses their potential economic impact, though it could provide more detailed evidence on the direct effects of these tariffs on prices.

However, the story could improve by providing more comprehensive evidence for some of its claims. For instance, while it states that oil prices have decreased, it does not provide specific figures or sources to support this claim. Additionally, the article mentions that egg prices have spiked due to an avian flu outbreak but could benefit from more detailed data to support this assertion.

Overall, the article presents a mostly accurate picture of the economic situation, but it could enhance its precision by including more detailed evidence and citing additional sources to support its claims.

6
Balance

The article primarily presents a critical perspective on President Trump's claims, focusing on refuting his statements with data. While this approach is justified given the factual inaccuracies, the article could improve balance by including a broader range of perspectives, such as those of economic analysts who might support or contextualize Trump's policies.

The piece could also benefit from presenting more information about the rationale behind Trump's statements or any potential positive outcomes of his policies, even if minimal. This would provide a more nuanced view of the economic situation and the administration's actions, avoiding an overly one-sided narrative.

By incorporating a wider range of viewpoints, the article could present a more balanced analysis of the economic issues at hand, allowing readers to form a more comprehensive understanding of the situation.

8
Clarity

The article is generally well-structured and clearly written, making it easy for readers to follow the arguments presented. It effectively uses data to refute the claims made by President Trump, and the logical flow of information helps to maintain reader engagement.

The language used is straightforward and accessible, allowing readers to grasp the key points without difficulty. However, the article could improve clarity by providing more context for some of the economic terms and concepts used, such as the implications of tariffs on consumer prices.

Overall, the article's clarity is strong, but it could be further enhanced by offering additional explanations of complex economic concepts to ensure all readers can fully understand the content.

7
Source quality

The article draws on credible data sources, such as the Consumer Price Index, to support its claims about grocery prices, which enhances its reliability. However, it could improve by explicitly citing these sources within the text to strengthen its credibility further.

The article would benefit from including more diverse sources, such as expert opinions from economists or industry analysts, to provide additional context and depth to the discussion of tariffs and economic impacts. This would help readers better understand the complexity of the issues and the range of expert opinions on the matter.

Overall, while the article uses reliable data, it could enhance its source quality by incorporating a broader array of expert insights and explicitly citing sources within the text.

6
Transparency

The article provides a clear overview of the economic claims made by President Trump and offers data to counter these claims. However, it lacks transparency in terms of explaining the methodology behind the data presented and the potential biases or limitations of the sources used.

To improve transparency, the article could include more information on how the Consumer Price Index data was gathered and any potential limitations of this data in reflecting the true state of grocery prices. Additionally, it could disclose any potential conflicts of interest or biases of the sources cited, if applicable.

By providing more detailed explanations of the data and potential biases, the article could enhance its transparency and help readers better understand the basis for its claims.

Sources

  1. https://www.sepe.gr/en/politics/22564838/fact-check-trump-falsely-claims-grocery-prices-are-down/
  2. https://www.poynter.org/fact-checking/2025/are-egg-prices-down-50-percent-trump-president/
  3. https://www.cbsnews.com
  4. https://www.cbsnews.com/moneywatch/
  5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_security_hacking_incidents