Donald Trump said a month ago that his government would cut drug prices by 1,500%. That can’t happen mathematically, because it would mean that drug companies would pay you instead of giving you free drugs. Of course, Trump has his own way of speaking, so most experts thought he was just being over the top as usual. But he stuck to his claim that drug prices in the U.S. had dropped by more than 1,000%.
Since he got back to the Oval Office, Trump has been telling drug companies to lower their prices. He told a short story about how much semaglutide costs in the U.S. compared to Europe, calling it “the fat shot” in a jab at someone who sounded a lot like Elon Musk. And even though the president chose to announce this new agenda in a way that not many people could fully understand, it was well received by both sides. Even though their relationship had soured recently, Trump sat down for an interview with Fox News this time and finally had enough time to explain what he meant.
Trump said to Fox News, “You know, and over the next year, drug prices will go down by not 50 or 60%, but 1,000%…” If you think about it, a $10 pill will go up from 10 to 20 because the world is bigger than us. For them, 20 is bearable. And it will go up to 20 for us.
Okay, so he will be slashing the prices by doubling them? What kind of alternate universe Math is this?
Few people actually understand what the president means. On X, one user said Trump was explaining how price doubling is actually a 1,000% reduction. Another suggested an age limit for the presidency. And one asked whether Trump even understands basic math.
CNN offered more context on what Trump is actually trying to achieve. Experts explained that he would need Congress to grant legal authority to enforce price reductions. However, if the megabill was any indicator, Trump can get almost anything passed when he throws the weight of his GOP leadership behind it.
Trump reportedly told pharmaceutical companies they would have to reduce their prices if they wanted to avoid repercussions. Upon signing an executive order in May on favorable pricing, Trump said, “Big Pharma will either abide by this principle voluntarily or we will use the power of the federal government to ensure that we are paying the same price as other countries to accelerate these price restrictions and reductions.”
Then there’s the issue of Trump’s tariffs. He has reportedly levied a 15% tariff on drugs coming from the European Union, with a few generics excluded. Tariffs, of course, increase prices — which may explain why Trump is trying to convince people that higher costs are actually a 1,000% cut. Regardless, Trump can say whatever he wants, but people taking medication will know from their own budgets whether prices have gone up or down.
When it comes to President Trump, what really matters is not the too-good-to-be-true claims themselves but what he does after making them.
Leave a Comment