The Anti-Cost-of-Living President
Trump’s 100 days and his broken promise to fix inflation.
Trump campaigned on lowering inflation and tackling the cost of living, but in practice, his policies have done the opposite. His first 100 days have proven to be a disjointed mess of self-inflicted economic wounds. From his destructive tariff policies that drove up the cost of building materials to regulatory rollbacks with little guidance that ignore the complexity of the housing market, his actions are contributing to the very crisis he vowed to address.
The focus on regulatory cuts and incentivizing developers ignores the deeper economic forces at play. High mortgage rates, rising construction costs, and supply chain disruptions (created by his own trade wars) are the real drivers of the affordability crisis. Instead of delivering on his promises to lower costs and inflation, Trump's policies are worsening the situation, leaving many Americans still facing a high cost of living while the housing market remains out of reach for the most vulnerable.
At the same time, his administration’s cuts to research, innovation, and climate resilience programs threaten the very investments we need to remain a competitive, forward-looking economy. Undermining these long-term drivers of growth in favor of short-term political wins is not only fiscally shortsighted, it weakens our national position in a rapidly changing global landscape.
We have a long way to go before achieving true affordability in housing and addressing the broader cost-of-living crisis. It has become clear that this administration has lost sight of its original promise to tackle inflation and lower costs for working Americans. Instead, Trump's misguided approach has exacerbated the problems he aimed to solve. As we move forward, Democrats have the chance to rise to the occasion and not only call out these failures but implement targeted solutions to help address these root issues. Failing to address the real economic drivers, such as rising material costs, labor shortages, and the broader economic environment—will only keep costs high and further alienate struggling families. We need a focused, comprehensive strategy that addresses both supply-side constraints and affordability, one that goes beyond quick fixes and shallow policy shifts. I encourage you to follow along here at The Rebuild, where we’ve outlined strategies in the past and plan to continue doing so.
View my full analysis on the Trump Administration’s actions related to the cost of living:
