During the previous American presidential campaign cycle, much was made (by voters and politicians alike) about the high increase in grocery prices under the Biden administration, especially egg prices. In the last two months of former President Joe Biden’s presidency alone, egg prices rose 14% alone, according to CNN. Further, Donald Trump campaigned on bringing down grocery prices “starting on day one.”
Instead of that happening, though, Forbes reported that inflation was higher than expected in January 2025 (in which President Trump was in office for nearly two weeks) at 3% rather than 2.8% and that egg prices increased again by a staggering 15%. Trump, perhaps unsurprisingly, responded to these numbers by posting “BIDEN INFLATION UP” on his own social media platform, Truth Social.
So who is to blame for the high egg prices?
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Biden or Trump: Is Either President To Blame?
So, who is to blame? Is it Biden, who current White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt accused of ordering the death of more than 100 million chickens, cutting off the egg supply? Or is it the Trump administration, who some Democrats have accused of being so mismanaged and dedicated to dismantling the government that he has neglected lowering egg prices?
The answer, it seems, is a complicated “not entirely” for both.
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Where Does the Fault Lie?
The egg price crisis seems to be far more indebted to the virulent avian flu that is infecting America (and killed over 40 million egg-laying birds in 2024).
Regarding Leavitt’s accusations of the Biden administration “mass killing” 100 million chickens — it was actually the USDA, which required the destruction of whole flocks of chickens to stop the avian flu once it was detected, leading to the deaths of 130 million birds since 2022. However, this USDA policy has not changed during the Trump administration and the same culling that Leavitt decried in her statement against Biden continues with President Trump.
As a result of the avian flu rendering over 130 million egg-laying birds as no longer viable, egg prices have soared astronomically. Further, until biosecurity increases and a vaccine is introduced to entire commercial egg-producing flocks, it is likely that the avian flu crisis (and its resultant increased prices) will continue.
Editor’s note on political coverage: GOBankingRates is nonpartisan and strives to cover all aspects of the economy objectively and present balanced reports on politically focused finance stories. You can find more coverage of this topic on GOBankingRates.com.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Egg Prices Are Higher Than Ever: Is Biden Still To Blame?
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