President Donald Trump campaigned on a pledge to lower consumer prices that skyrocketed during Joe Biden's term, but some Americans are now calling him out for soaring living costs that's forced them to seek help from food pantries.

Washington

As Thanksgiving nears, many Americans are struggling with elevated grocery prices, with some, like Chicago resident Gail Hethcote, attributing the hardship to President Donald Trump. Despite Trump's claims of lowering prices, recent data shows significant increases in the cost of staple foods such as beef, bananas, and coffee, and wage gains have not kept pace with inflation.

Food pantries are seeing a sharp rise in demand, with more first-time users seeking assistance. The American Farm Bureau Federation reports that while turkey prices are down, the total cost of Thanksgiving dinner remains higher than pre-pandemic levels, making food affordability a growing political issue.

Thanksgiving shoppers say Trump 'killing us' on grocery prices

67-year-old Gail Hethcote of Chicago is scouring the grocery store for deals, and tells Reuters she is struggling to feed her family. GAIL HETHCOTE, Chicago Resident, 67 Years Old I worked my whole life. For what? For me to be still struggling? She's putting the blame on President Donald Trump, saying the cost of living has become unbearable. Prices are ridiculous. And that man that's up there in that White House needs to go. He's killing us. I want him to come and live in my house for one week and see how we eat. Trump campaigned on a pledge to lower consumer prices, but is now facing the same hard reality that dogged his predecessor, Joe Biden. In recent weeks, Trump has touted lower prices. And eggs are way down now. We're getting prices down for this country. While inflation is down, goods that are subject to Trump's tariffs in particular cost more than before. And wage gains for many have been largely offset by higher prices. The latest Consumer Price Index data from September shows a nearly 15 percent increase in the price of beef, a 7 percent increase for bananas and more than 20 percent for coffee. Higher prices have forced Hethcote to turn to door-dashing for extra income. A lot of my customers are saying, why are you out here? The great-grandmother relies on pantries to put food on the table. It's breaking me. How many other people are out there that need this food and they're here? I saw a lady here with a newborn baby. More people are coming to our pantries. Marie Jochum from the Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago says demand at this pantry has risen sharply in recent months. We're having more first-time recipients. So right now, we're seeing a 20 percent increase in people coming for the first time to a pantry. 29-year-old Devante Conwell is one of them. I had to find a pantry because, you know, food is coming up so expensive and I got family to take care of. That's too many bills coming in. Food costs have become a major political issue as Thanksgiving nears following a record-long government shutdown. The American Farm Bureau Federation estimates it will cost 5 percent less this year than in 2024, thanks to steep discounts for turkeys. But that tally is still 13 percent more than in 2019, during Trump's first term and before the pandemic. Half of Thanksgiving dinner's other foods, including sweet potatoes, frozen peas and a fresh vegetable tray appetizer, cost more than in 2024.

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Nha Trang

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Caracas

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Beirut

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Kyiv

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Niger

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Johannesburg

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Belém

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Geneva

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Rome

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Breakdown