By Charles Switzer
2:57pm PDT, Apr 25, 2025
Trump's 'Lies' on Gas, Groceries, Eggs and More
CNN senior reporter
Daniel Dale has made a habit of fact-checking President
Donald Trump's statements, often opting for terms like "false claims" or "exaggerations."
However, in his
latest report, Dale was unequivocal, labeling Trump's recent remarks about gas, groceries and eggs as outright "lies."
These statements were part of Trump's broader attempt to downplay concerns that his tariffs could be fueling inflation.
Here are several Trump fact-checking discoveries Dale uncovered this week.
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Trump's Misleading Claims on Gas Prices
On April 17, Donald Trump claimed that gas prices in the U.S. had dropped to $1.98 per gallon in some states. Dale quickly debunked this, explaining that no state had an average price below $2.70 per gallon. The lowest price found by GasBuddy was $2.19 per gallon at a station in Texas.
The national average was about $3.17 per gallon, according to AAA data. Trump doubled down on this assertion the following day, claiming that three states had reached the $1.98 mark, but again, there was no factual basis for his statement.
The White House could not substantiate Trump's claims and instead offered a new falsehood, stating that gas prices in "Middle America" were at "record lows."
Grocery Prices: Trump's Repeated Misinformation
On top of his claims about gas, Donald Trump also asserted that grocery prices were "down" and had "come down" in the past few weeks.
This, too, was false.
Federal Consumer Price Index data revealed that average grocery prices had actually increased in March, with a 0.49 percent rise from February and a 2.41 percent increase from the previous March.
These price hikes took place before Trump imposed new 10 percent
tariffs on imports in early April, which are expected to drive grocery prices even higher.
Trump's Distorted Egg Price Figures
Donald Trump made similarly misleading claims about egg prices, stating on Tuesday that egg costs had "come down like 93, 94 percent since we took office."
Dale described this assertion as "wildly inaccurate." According to Dale, such a dramatic drop would imply that eggs are now under 38 cents per dozen, a figure far removed from reality. In fact, the national average price of eggs in March hit a record high of about $6.23 per dozen, not the nearly non-existent price Trump suggested.
While wholesale egg prices have decreased due to efforts to fight
bird flu, the drop is closer to 52 percent, not the 93-94 percent that Trump claimed.
White House Response and Lack of Evidence
When CNN reached out to the White House for clarification on Donald Trump's claims, they were unable to provide any substantiation for the president's statements. Instead, spokesperson Anna Kelly sent a response suggesting that egg prices had "significantly" decreased due to the administration's efforts against bird flu, though this did not address the unrealistic figures Trump had presented.
Daniel Dale's investigation further illustrated the discrepancies between Trump's rhetoric and the reality of price trends, debunking his repeated assertions.
Trump's Pattern of Falsehoods
Daniel Dale's fact-checking of Donald Trump's statements reportedly highlights a broader pattern of exaggerations and misinformation from the president.
By making claims about gas, groceries and eggs that do not align with the actual data, Trump continues to mislead the public, particularly when it comes to economic matters. Despite these factual inaccuracies, the White House has yet to offer any meaningful evidence to support the president's rhetoric, further showcasing the divide between Trump's words and the reality of inflation and market trends.
