American families are experiencing unprecedented financial strain as the country's affordability crisis deepens, with millions struggling to cover basic necessities amid soaring prices for groceries, housing, childcare, education and healthcare.
The Squeeze on Everyday Families
For Cat Hill, a 43-year-old from Hornby, New York, the financial pressure has become overwhelming. "We can't afford to do those little luxuries any more because they're just too expensive to feed five with," she explains, referring to treats like fancy cheese or apple rolls that were once affordable family indulgences.
Hill, who runs a small business operating a horse stable, has been hit by a double whammy of rising grocery prices and increasing business costs. Her concerns about the future are palpable. "With this administration, it doesn't appear to be stabilising," she adds, referring to Donald Trump's government. "It's hard to think about how exactly we are going to ride this out."
Political Backlash and Economic Reality
The affordability crisis has become a major political liability for the Trump administration, particularly after Democrats swept recent elections from New York to Virginia with a message laser-focused on economic concerns. According to the AP Voter Poll, economic worries dominated voters' minds during these contests.
Despite Trump's campaign promise to bring down prices "starting on day one," the reality has been quite different. Just two days after winning the election, the president remarkably claimed: "Our groceries are way down. Everything is way down ... So I don't want to hear about the affordability."
The data tells a different story. From January to September, prices rose in five of the six main grocery groups tracked in the consumer price index:
- Meats, poultry and fish increased by 4.5%
- Non-alcoholic beverages rose 2.8%
- Fruits and vegetables went up 1.3%
Federal Reserve officials have been clear that Trump's tariffs caused inflation, though the duration of these effects remains uncertain. Consumer prices were increasing at an annual rate of 2.3% in April when Trump launched import taxes, accelerating to 3% by September.
Presidential Denial and Belated Action
Trump initially responded to affordability concerns with denial, posting on social media: "Affordability is a lie when used by the Dems. It is a complete CON JOB. Thanksgiving costs are 25% lower this year than last, under Crooked Joe! We are the Party of Affordability!"
However, the election results appear to have stung the administration into action. Trump has since conceded that some consumer costs are "a little bit higher" and floated several ideas to ease financial pressures, including:
- Extending 30-year mortgages to 50 years to reduce monthly payments
- Partially backtracking on tariffs by reducing levies on imports of coffee, beef and tropical fruit
- Proposing a $2,000 dividend funded by tariff revenue for all Americans except the wealthy
Adam Green, co-founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, noted the significance of Trump's tariff reversal: "The fact that Trump decided to lower tariffs on coffee and bananas is a complete admission that across the economy he is jacking up prices on millions of families."
Public Sentiment and Political Consequences
The depth of public dissatisfaction is reflected in multiple polls. Consumer sentiment dropped to a near record low in November, falling from 71.8 out of 100 in November 2024 to just 51, according to the University of Michigan's Surveys of Consumers.
Joanne Hsu, director of the survey, explained: "They feel like those high prices are eroding their living standard, and they just don't feel like they're thriving at the end of the day."
Other polling data reveals widespread discontent:
- A Fox News poll found 76% of respondents had a negative view of the economy
- A Marquette University survey showed 72% disapproved of Trump's handling of inflation
- A Reuters/Ipsos poll indicated 65% disapproved of Trump's handling of the cost of living
Tara Setmayer, co-founder and chief executive of the women-led Super Pac Seneca Project, highlighted the political vulnerability created by Trump's approach: "It's so tone-deaf and so 'let them eat cake' it's hard to believe that he's serious about this but he is and keeps constantly doing this. It screams: 'I don't give a damn about everyday people.'"
As the affordability crisis continues to squeeze American households, the Trump administration faces growing pressure to deliver meaningful solutions rather than simply insisting, as Biden did before him, that the economy is stronger than people perceive.
