On prescription drug costs, Trump flunks arithmetic in embarrassing fashion

[LetMyPeopleVote]

The president apparently intends to lower the cost of prescription drugs by up to 1,500%, which is badly at odds with how numbers work.

On prescription drug costs,
Trump flunks arithmetic in embarrassing fashion

Intends to lower the cost of prescription drugs
by up to 1,500%

At odds with how numbers work

www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddo...

— Animal Crackers (@animalcrackerstoo.bsky.social) 2025-07-24T10:35:58.030Z

https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/prescription-drug-costs-trump-flunks-arithmetic-embarrassing-fashion-rcna220508

Two months later, however, Trump is still talking about his ambitions on the issue.
https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:4llrhdclvdlmmynkwsmg5tdc/post/3lulqupi3kj2h

Link to tweet

At a White House event, the president boasted to a group of Republican allies, “We’re gonna get the drug prices down — not 30% or 40%, which would be great. Not 50% or 60%. No, we’re gonna get them down 1,000%, 600%, 500%, 1,500%.”.....

Complicating matters, when it comes to his administration’s and his party’s approach to the underlying issue (i.e., making prescription drugs more affordable), Trump conveniently overlooked some relevant details. The New York Times reported earlier this month:

The sweeping Republican policy bill that awaits President Trump’s signature on Friday includes a little-noticed victory for the drug industry. The legislation allows more medications to be exempt from Medicare’s price negotiation program, which was created to lower the government’s drug spending. Now, manufacturers will be able to keep those prices higher.

The Times cited an estimate from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office that found the Republican-imposed change will save the industry — the one the president claims to have “studied” — nearly $5 billion over the next decade.

Trump didn’t mention any of this as part of his discussion of medication costs. Imagine that.

[tanyev]

1. They're gonna pay us to take our meds!!

[Deuxcents]

2. He just throws numbers around..the greatest businessman has no idea what he's talking about

[markodochartaigh]

3. We can take it as a given

that the third of the US electorate who voted for him just don't care that he makes irrational numbers up out of whole cloth.

But aside from that, it is a shame that most adults in the US lack a basic understanding of math. And it is embarrassing on a national scale that the president, who should be held to a higher standard, is so ignorant of basic math.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

4. What an imbecile! I guess the drug companies will now be paying us to take their drugs!