Trump promised lower grocery prices 'on Day One.' Here's what happened

(NEXSTAR) – Campaigning for office a year ago, standing in front of a table loaded up with bags of flour, cartons of eggs and gallons of milk, President Donald Trump told voters, “When I win, I will immediately bring prices down, starting on Day One.” 

Unfortunately for him – and money-strapped Americans – it hasn’t worked out that way. 

Nexstar employees around the country tracked a selection of grocery items over the past six months to see if prices would rise, fall or stay the same after Trump took office in January. Our observations, as well as federal data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), show grocery prices overall have remained stubbornly high and even increased slightly. 

The overall cost of food at home has ticked up between 0.2% and 0.4% almost every month since January, according to BLS tracking. One exception was in April 2025, when prices went down 0.1% from the month before. All those tiny increases have added up to a 3% increase in food prices year-over-year.

The situation at any given grocery store is more nuanced and varied than the top-line national average would indicate. 

Goods that are shelf-stable also turned out to be pretty price-stable at the grocery stores we checked in San Jose, California; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; and Bismarck, North Dakota between January and July of 2025. The price of a box of cookies didn’t change at all over the six-month period.

But with fresh fruit, the time of year made a difference. Strawberries, for example, were much cheaper in the summer than they were in February.

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks about rising food prices on Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024, in Bedminster, N.J. The then-candidate for president promised lower prices, but has that panned out? (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)

Why eggs are down, beef is up

Some of the price changes also come amid industry impacts.

Egg prices, for example, were inflated last year due to an avian flu epidemic. Those prices were expected to remain high into 2025, with some restaurants even imposing surcharges on egg orders.

Since spiking in March, egg prices have been on the decline, but remain historically high. The latest Consumer Price Index shows the cost of eggs is up more than 27% between June 2024 and June 2025. They are, however, down nearly 11% from May to June this year.

Beef prices are not bouncing back as well. 

Experts were warning in early 2024 that beef prices could reach record highs due to the lowest inventory since 1951, brought on by drought conditions and the rising costs of maintaining herds. Other factors that popped up this year, like tariffs and a flesh-eating screwworm, have pushed beef prices northward. 

Last month, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported that beef prices had jumped more than 8% since the start of the year. Beef and veal prices, combined on the CPI, are up more than 10% year-over-year. Between May and June, prices jumped almost 2.5%.

Americans worried grocery prices will stay high

The vast majority of U.S. adults are at least somewhat stressed about the cost of groceries, a new poll finds, as prices continue to rise and concerns about the impact of Trump’s tariffs remain widespread.

About half of all Americans say the cost of groceries is a “major” source of stress in their life right now, while 33% say it’s a “minor” source of stress, according to the poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. Only 14% say it’s not a source of stress, underscoring the pervasive anxiety most Americans continue to feel about the cost of everyday essentials.

Citing a report from the Tax Foundation, Nexstar’s The Hill reported late last month that about 75% of the nation’s food imports are expected to be impacted by Trump’s latest round of tariffs, which took effect at the start of August. Days prior, an analysis by the Yale Budget Lab estimated food prices would rise more than 3% over the short term.

Some foods that could see price hikes, according to The Hill, include seafood, coffee, rice, alcohol, and chocolate.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.