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President Trump’s tariffs have already cost the average American family $1,200, and new polling from Groundwork Collaborative and Data for Progress shows voters want the Trump administration to refund that money back directly to consumers.
Emily DiVito, senior adviser for economic policy at Groundwork Collaborative, said, “The steady rise in the use of buy now, pay later loans to cover the basics, like groceries and rent, is a warning sign that working families are under real financial strain. Prices for essentials are climbing as a result of the president’s reckless economic policies, wages aren’t keeping pace, and hardworking Americans are being pushed into cycles of debt just to make ends meet.”
The relatively benign headline numbers may be the last one for a while, some experts say. “This week's CPI print is likely to be the last one showing somewhat stable prices," said Liz Pancotti, Managing Director of Policy & Advocacy at Groundwork Collaborative and a former Boston Fed researcher.
Over the past year, the price of groceries, electricity, housing, and health care have continued to rise, and President Trump continues to push forward a misguided agenda that makes it harder for working families to make ends meet at every turn.
President Trump’s war with Iran is already rattling global energy markets, and the majority of Americans are bracing for the economic fallout.
Aluminum is used in a wide variety of items, including airplanes, power lines and cans. The price spike could eventually show up in everyday purchases, said Alex Jacquez, chief of policy and advocacy at Groundwork Collaborative, a research group.
This week, Paul and Goldy talk with Groundwork Collaborative Executive Director Lindsay Owens about how companies are using AI and massive data sets to run experiments on consumers—testing exactly how much each of us is willing to pay. And if every shopper sees a different price, one big question follows: Do markets still work the way economists say they do?
“The markets are starting to realize there may be no off-ramp here,” said Jacquez, who advised the Biden White House on energy issues. “There was this thinking that if oil prices start to soar that Trump would back down in Iran. But that is not the way things are aligning. The president has shown no appetite for changing course.”
The latest jobs report shows the United States lost 92,000 jobs in February 2026, with prior months revised down by 69,000 jobs.
Consumers resort to scrapping metal and selling clothes to make ends meet, businesses are engaging in shrinkflation as Trump’s chaotic tariffs drive up costs.