Trump Insists America's In Its 'Golden Age,' Pointing To Mcdonalds' Golden Arches For Affordability. But Americans Aren't Lovin' Their Prices

2025-11-18 11:02:41

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President Donald Trump spoke about affordability this week in a room full of McDonald's franchise owners, operators and suppliers. The longtime McDonald's fan who once handed out fries at a Pennsylvania location during the 2024 campaign joked that he's“the very first former McDonald's fry cook to ever become president of the United States” (1).

But as Trump praised what he called“the golden age of America,” insisting prices are falling and the country is“doing better than we've ever done,” many Americans aren't exactly tasting the value menu he's describing. More than a year into his term, worry over the cost of living has only grown.

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YouGov/Economist polling shows Trump steadily losing support among middle-class Americans, with his net approval dropping from –10 in September to –18 by November. The decline tracks alongside a chaotic government shutdown and growing frustration over food prices, housing costs and energy bills: a combo meal no voter ordered (2).

And even McDonald's prices aren't immune. Despite Trump saying in the speech that McDonal'ds prices are down, according to The Economist's Big Mac Index, which tracks the price of a Big Mac burger across different countries, the burger now averages $6.01 in the U.S., up from $5.69 last year (3).

And yet, Trump insists Americans are closer than they think to living the dream, if not already there.

An affordability pitch that isn't landing

President Trump has repeatedly pushed back on claims about the affordability issue, arguing the U.S. economy is far stronger than critics or the media acknowledge and claiming no former administration has matched his record on pricing.

But polls paint a different picture. Only 30% of voters believe Trump has met their expectations on tackling inflation and the cost of living, according to a recent NBC News survey (4). For 44% of independent voters (a group that often decides close elections), cost-of-living ranked as the top issue (5).

Even McDonald's, a chain built on the promise of affordable convenience, is feeling the squeeze. Its CEO, Chris Kempczinski, has warned that value isn't a concern limited to low-income customers.

“Value matters to everybody, whether you're upper income, middle income, lower income, feeling like you're getting good value for your dollar is important,” he said in a statement (6).

Yet during Monday's McDonald's summit, where Trump chose to center his affordability message, he briefly touched on rising prices, but placed the blame on the previous administration. After joking about convincing his health secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., to try a Big Mac, he also riffed about egg prices climbing so high the White House once considered using plastic eggs for the Easter Egg Hunt. He insisted that prices had come down since he took office.

Some figures support his claims: the average wholesale price for a dozen eggs has fallen from $6.55 the day after he took office to $3.25 by April 30, a roughly 50% drop, according to USDA data pulled by Trading Economics (7).

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The price of a big mac economy

Even McDonald's, the place Americans count on for a quick coffee or an easy dinner, is starting to feel like a splurge for some. The chain's CEO says visits from lower-income diners have dropped sharply, and one analyst put it bluntly to the LA Times:“Happy Meals at McDonald's are prohibitively expensive for some people” (8).

That pressure is showing up in the headlines, too. An $18 Big Mac® combo went viral this year, pushing the CEO to publicly promise better affordability. FinanceBuzz reports McDonald's prices have doubled since 2014, rising about 100%. Happy Meals have jumped faster than inflation and now hover around $9 with tax. In a bid to win back customers, McDonald's even revived its long-gone Snack Wraps at $2.99 (9).

All of this undercuts Trump's claim that“prices are coming down.” On stage Monday night, he described himself as“one of your all-time, most loyal customers” and said he'd heard directly from McDonald's CEO Chris Kempczinski that prices at the chain are easing, too. He praised the workers who“know the people of our country better than anybody.”

Yet, those are the very Americans feeling squeezed and many of them say even a McDonald's run doesn't fit the budget like it used to.

Making your own value menu

As his trademark tariff policy has compounded the post-pandemic inflation that plagued the Biden administration, Americans haven't felt the relief President Trump keeps promising. The affordability crisis isn't going to disappear overnight. That means households may have to take the lead where they can and find savings in the margins of their own budgets.

Loyalty programs, especially at places like McDonald's, where app rewards can shave real dollars off an increasingly premium-priced meal, can make a real difference. Groceries also go further when you shop like you mean it: make a list, plan meals around what's on sale, bulk up on frozen produce, compare prices between store brands and name brands and use apps that automatically stack coupons and cash-back offers.

For bigger-ticket essentials like internet or phone service, consumers may also find unexpected savings just by reviewing their plans. Many providers raise prices quietly over time, so calling to negotiate or switching to a lower-tier plan you're already paying for but not fully using can create a cushion without meaningfully changing your lifestyle.

And while Trump wrapped up his remarks saying he hopes to return next year with“lower prices,” many Americans are still in the drive-thru of uncertainty. Until broader relief arrives, the most reliable protection will come from finding the small places where your own budget can buy a little more breathing room.