Are we really better with Trump?
I read a piece in the Messenger last week, comparing Biden and Trump. The Publisher’s Perspective column shared economic data from the first seven months of Biden’s second year in office (2022) against the same time period for Trump. The author claimed that inflation was 12% during those seven months of Biden’s term. (My research showed a high of 9.1%.) High for sure, but this was post-COVID, when production and distribution networks were in complete disarray. Biden did an amazing job bringing inflation down to about 3% by the time he left office. And now, thanks to Trump’s unnecessary attack on Iran, inflation has increased since January and is around 3.5%.
Gasoline prices were also mentioned, claiming that gas prices rose 69% under Biden. (A meaningless statement by itself: from $1 to $1.69? I’ll take it.) Indeed, gas was nearly $5 a gallon in June 2022 (again, COVID) but it dropped to under $3 by January 2025, a 40% drop over two and a half years. By contrast, since January of this year, gas has risen from around $2.50 to $4.50 per gallon, an 80% increase in eight months. And, during those same eight months, diesel fuel has jumped from $3.50 to over $6.50 per gallon, an 86% increase. I’m not looking forward to paying for heating oil this year.
The article closes by suggesting we remember what Americans were dealing with a few years ago, implying we are better off now. At the end of 2024, the U.S. had a strong economy and positive relationships with our world trading partners. We’re definitely not where we want to be right now. But I would happily trade the mess we have now under Trump for what we enjoyed under Biden.