People in the U.S. are really frustrated with food prices, and many are turning to President-elect Donald Trump for help in bringing those grocery bills down.
During his campaign, he often complained about the rising costs of things like bacon, cereal, and crackers. When he visited a grocery store in Pennsylvania back in September, he assured shoppers, “We’ll get them down.”
However, the food price hikes that shocked Americans and others around the globe in 2021 and 2022 stemmed from a mix of complex issues—everything from the pandemic to the war in Ukraine to outbreaks of avian flu.
Some economists warn that Trump’s proposed solutions, like imposing tariffs on imported foods and deporting undocumented workers, could actually lead to even higher food prices.
As of October, data shows that food prices at home had jumped by 28 percent since 2019. But it seems like that surge peaked last year; between October 2023 and October 2024, food prices only increased by about 2 percent—better than overall inflation rates.
Still, high grocery costs are weighing heavily on voters’ minds. According to a survey by AP VoteCast involving over 120,000 voters, around 70 percent expressed serious concern about food expenses—70 percent of women and 63 percent of men included. Only about one in ten said they weren’t very worried at all.
Interestingly enough, Trump found strong support among those who were most concerned about these rising costs; around six out of ten voters who felt this way backed him while four out of ten leaned towards Vice President Kamala Harris.
On the flip side, Harris garnered significant support from those who were either somewhat or not very concerned.
When asked how he would tackle grocery prices during a town hall meeting in Michigan last September, Trump suggested that tariffs could benefit American farmers.
He’s proposed a hefty tariff of up to 60 percent on products from China and a general tariff ranging from 10 to 20 percent on other foreign goods coming into the country—sometimes even mentioning higher rates! He believes U.S. farmers are struggling too much because we import so many agricultural products; as per USDA data from 2021, we brought in around 60 percent of our fresh fruit and nearly four-tenths of our fresh veggies (excluding potatoes and mushrooms), plus about ten percent of our beef.
He stated plainly that we’re going to have to be more like other countries, implying that we need tighter restrictions on imports so our farmers can thrive again.
David Ortega, a food economics and policy professor at Michigan State University, pointed out that food producers heavily depend on imports for essentials like fertilizer, equipment, and packaging.
If the prices of these imports go up, producers will likely pass those costs onto consumers. He also noted that U.S. farmers might face challenges selling their products internationally due to potential retaliatory tariffs from other countries.
According to the USDA, about 20% of U.S. agricultural output is exported annually.
The American Farm Bureau didn’t reply to The Associated Press when asked for comments. Meanwhile, the Consumer Brands Association—representing major food companies like Coca-Cola and Nestle as well as personal care brands like Procter & Gamble—highlighted that many members rely on ingredients sourced from outside the U.S., such as coffee, bananas, and chocolate.
Tom Madrecki, the association’s VP of campaigns and special projects, remarked on the contradiction between wanting to lower grocery prices while implementing tariff policies that could raise them.
Ortega also mentioned that Trump’s plans to deport undocumented individuals might contribute to higher grocery prices since over 2 million undocumented workers are involved in various stages of the U.S. food supply chain—around 1 million work on farms alone.
At a town hall in Michigan, Trump claimed that boosting oil and gas drilling would help reduce energy costs and subsequently lower food prices: “Whether you’re making doughnuts or cars, energy is crucial,” he said.
He expressed his goal of cutting energy bills by 50% within a year; however, it’s worth noting that energy only accounts for a small fraction of overall food production costs—less than 4 cents per dollar spent on food in 2022 went toward energy expenses according to USDA data.
Joseph Glauber from the International Food Policy Research Institute acknowledged the importance of energy prices but mentioned they have already significantly dropped over the past year.
He suggested it might be tough for Trump’s administration to influence short-term energy pricing much further.
When asked if Trump had any additional strategies beyond focusing on energy and tariffs for reducing grocery expenses, a spokesperson for his transition team didn’t provide more information.
Karoline Leavitt stated confidently that The American people re-elected President Trump by a resounding margin, implying he has a clear mandate to fulfill his campaign promises.
When someone asked if Trump had any ideas besides energy and tariffs to help reduce grocery prices, his transition team’s spokesperson didn’t provide any extra information.
The American people gave President Trump a strong vote of confidence, re-electing him and allowing him to follow through on the promises he made during his campaign. He will deliver, said Karoline Leavitt.
Maria Kalaitzandonakes, who teaches agricultural and consumer economics at the University of Illinois, pointed out that her studies indicate many voters believe politicians can actually lower grocery costs.
Jordan Voigt, a 34-year-old single mom with two young kids, mentioned that she’s currently staying with her parents in Asheville, North Carolina because fuel and grocery prices have skyrocketed.
She supported Trump partly because she sees him as a businessman who can bring prices down. “He doesn’t just accept high costs; he challenges them,” Voigt shared during an election night event. “He stands up and says the American people shouldn’t have to pay that much.”
However, economists like Ortega argue that there’s not much a president can do in the short term to reduce grocery prices significantly. Typically, sustained price drops only occur during deep economic downturns.
People are hoping for grocery prices to return to what they were before COVID-19 hit, but Ortega believes that’s unrealistic right now. Deflation isn’t really something we want, he explained.
Kalaitzandonakes agrees that the White House has limited ability to quickly lower food costs but notes that presidents can promote longer-term policies aimed at controlling inflation in grocery prices—like boosting competition or investing in better agricultural technology and crops that withstand pests or bad weather conditions.
Instead of just focusing on lowering food prices, she suggests we should consider whether our incomes are keeping up with our expenses overall rather than simply looking for cheaper bills at the store.