President Donald Trump recently said his administration has things under control. He told the public that grocery prices are starting to fall fast. The timing could not have been worse. Just hours earlier, new government data showed food prices jumping at their fastest pace since 2022.
Official numbers paint a very different picture from Trump’s claim. Inflation overall has slowed compared to last year. But groceries remain painfully expensive. For many families, the weekly shopping bill keeps climbing.
Grocery prices surge despite Trump inflation claims
Government data shows overall inflation sitting near 2.7 percent. That is lower than when Trump returned to office in January. Still, it remains above the Federal Reserve’s 2 percent goal. More importantly, food prices are not cooling.
Grocery prices rose 2.4 percent over the past year. Some everyday items jumped far more. Coffee prices surged nearly 20 percent compared to last year. Ground beef rose more than 15 percent. Steak prices jumped close to 18 percent.
Shoppers feel it every time they visit the store. Many say nothing feels cheaper. Food experts agree. Prices remain stubbornly high, especially for meat and basic staples.
Why food prices remain high in the US
Several forces are keeping grocery costs elevated. Severe weather has disrupted farming supply. Demand for beef and coffee has stayed strong. A major drought in 2022 forced ranchers to cut cattle herds. That shortage is still being felt today.
Cattle numbers remain low. Demand has not slowed. The result is higher prices at the meat counter. Coffee and cocoa face similar supply problems. Shortages push prices higher, even when inflation elsewhere eases.
Policy choices have also added pressure. New tariffs on steel and aluminum raised packaging costs. Food companies now pay more for cans and containers. Those costs are passed directly to shoppers.
Trump promised lower prices from day one. One year later, groceries cost more, not less. For many households, the gap between political claims and real-life expenses keeps growing.
