Warren links prices to Trump

Sen. Elizabeth Warren is tying higher grocery bills to President Donald Trump’s record on prices and antitrust, saying families paid about $310 more in 2025 than in 2024. (warren.senate.gov) Warren and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said in an April 14, 2026 letter that grocery bills rose faster than overall inflation last year, and they urged the Justice Department and Federal Trade Commission to crack down on food and agriculture price-fixing. (warren.senate.gov) The $310 figure comes from Warren’s office, which said Americans “paid an average of $310 more for groceries compared to 2024” after Trump had promised to lower prices “on Day One.” Federal inflation data show food prices rose 3.1% in 2025, including a 2.4% increase for food bought at stores. (warren.senate.gov) (bls.gov) Their argument is not only about inflation. Warren and Schumer said concentration in meatpacking, seeds, fertilizer, and grocery retail lets a small number of companies raise prices or squeeze suppliers in ways antitrust law is supposed to stop. (warren.senate.gov) (whitehouse.gov) That puts Warren in the middle of a fight over whether grocery prices are being driven mainly by broad costs like fuel and fertilizer, or by market power inside the food chain. The White House itself said in a December 6, 2025 executive order that price-fixing and anti-competitive behavior can threaten the affordability of the food supply. (whitehouse.gov) (federalregister.gov) Warren’s latest push also lands after Trump’s top antitrust official, Gail Slater, left the Justice Department in February 2026 after the White House sought her resignation, according to multiple outlets. Warren’s office said that move weakened enforcement instead of lowering costs. (politico.com) (cbsnews.com) (warren.senate.gov) Warren’s office also pointed to the Federal Trade Commission’s January 2025 findings on “surveillance pricing,” which said companies can use data like location and browser history to offer different prices to different consumers. Recent reporting says the commission is still examining the practice, even after it shut down a public comment process last year. (ftc.gov) (whio.com) Government forecasts suggest grocery prices remain a live political issue. The U.S. Department of Agriculture said food-at-home prices were expected to rise again in 2026, even if the pace stayed near long-run averages. (ers.usda.gov) The immediate question is whether Warren’s pressure campaign produces action from the Justice Department or Federal Trade Commission. Her message is simpler than that process: if grocery bills are still climbing in 2026, Trump owns the promise he made to bring them down. (warren.senate.gov)