As egg prices and other essentials rise under President Donald Trump’s second term, Democrats and mainstream media are raising concerns—despite largely dismissing inflation during Joe Biden’s presidency. The shift in stance has conservatives calling out hypocrisy, while Trump’s team works to fulfill campaign promises of controlling costs.
Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-NV) criticized egg prices as “absolutely outrageous” on X, urging Trump to “take action.” Similarly, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) blamed “skyrocketing” egg costs on Trump’s alleged mismanagement of bird flu response efforts. However, both remained largely silent when inflation hit a 40-year high of 9.1% in June 2022 under Biden, with egg prices surpassing $4 per dozen. Warren even praised Biden in April 2024 for job growth and “inflation down,” despite rates remaining well above pre-pandemic levels.
Trump’s administration is pushing back. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins attributed high egg prices to “over-regulation” and excessive government intervention from Biden’s tenure rather than just avian flu. “Policy matters,” she stated while announcing plans to reduce regulatory burdens and increase supply. The argument aligns with economists like EJ Antoni from the Heritage Foundation, who linked Biden-era trillion-dollar spending packages—such as the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan—to fueling inflation and expanding the national deficit to $34 trillion.
During Biden’s presidency, Democrats and media figures often downplayed inflation concerns. In July 2024, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer dismissed Biden’s role in rising costs, stating, “One person can’t control global inflation.” That same month, Whoopi Goldberg on The View questioned critics, asking, “What do you want him to do?” while attributing inflation to COVID, international conflicts, and supply chain disruptions. Now, Whitmer is voicing concerns over Valentine’s Day chocolate prices under Trump, blaming his tariffs for potential cost increases.
The economic data tell a revealing story. Inflation stood at 1.4% when Biden took office in January 2021 but remained at 3.5% when he left—lower than its 2022 peak but still significantly higher than Trump’s first-term average of 1.9%. In the 2024 election, voters ranked the economy as their top issue, with many expressing dissatisfaction with Biden’s handling of inflation. Trump capitalized on this frustration, signing a January 20 directive to tackle the “cost-of-living crisis” by cutting government spending and regulations—measures that Democrats now argue are either ineffective or too slow.
The debate over egg prices is just the latest battle in the broader economic blame game. Rosen and Warren’s recent concerns contrast with their relative silence during Biden’s presidency, when factors like bird flu and supply chains were cited as justifications for rising grocery costs. Meanwhile, Republicans argue that Trump inherited an economic mess, with his administration contending that Biden’s policies fueled inflation by increasing demand while restricting supply. As Rollins promises action and Democrats point fingers, the fight over inflation is intensifying—showing that eggs aren’t the only thing being scrambled in Washington.
