Donald Trump made the economy a major focus of his 2024 campaign, repeatedly blaming then-President Joe Biden and then-Vice President Kamala Harris for inflation. And that messaging worked: Trump narrowly defeated Democratic nominee Harris and returned to the White House on Monday, January 20, 2025.
The price of eggs was often mentioned during the 2024 race, and a recurring message from Trump was that he was “going to get the prices down” for “groceries, cars, everything.” The price of eggs in particular was a major concern for voters, given how high prices soared under Biden’s leadership during the Covid-19 pandemic.
But according to The New Republic’s Edith Olmsted, the price of eggs has not decreased since Trump’s inauguration. In fact, Olmsted — citing Consumer Price Index data — notes that egg prices hit an all-time high on the third day of Trump’s second presidency.
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Egg prices in the United States, Olmsted warns in an article published on January 23, could become even higher if the Trump administration drops the ball with the bird flu.
“Donald Trump’s decision to press pause on communications from health organizations amid an escalating bird flu breakout could take America’s soaring egg prices and make them even worse,” Olmsted explains. “The consumer price index found that egg prices have increased 36.8 percent from this time last year, and experts believe the increase in price is the result of avian influenza, which is rapidly depleting the supply of chickens.”
The New Republic reporter adds, “If one bird is infected, farms are required by law to cull the entire flock.”
In an Axios article published on January 21, reporters Nathan Bomey and Kelly Tyko report that the “escalating bird flu crisis is ravaging the nation’s supply of eggs, leading to increased prices and presenting an immediate challenge for the Trump Administration.
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According to Bomey and Tyko, “Some retailers are limiting how many eggs consumers can purchase while others are having a hard time keeping shelves stocked.”
Jason Hart, CEO of grocery chain Aldi, told Axios, “It’s really a crazy situation and an unfortunate situation for consumers because the supply situation is what it is due to the bird flu.”
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Read The New Republic’s full article at this link and Axios’ reporting here.
