Washington, D.C. — December 31, 2025
Heritage Foundation President Steve More defended President Donald Trump’s economic record during a recent panel discussion, asserting that Americans upset over skyrocketing grocery prices should direct their anger toward former President Joe Biden, not Trump.
“Let me add something to that—he is right. People are angry about prices,” More said, agreeing with a fellow panelist. “My wife, when she goes to the grocery store, and ‘you believe what a steak costs now?’ By the way, beef is up like 14% year over year.”
More then highlighted what he called a key distinction: “What is really interesting about this is that, yes, people should be angry about the price of things, but 87.5% of the increase in those prices happened under Biden, not Trump. So you know, if you’re angry, you should be angry at the former president.”
The comments underscore a frequent Republican talking point as Trump’s second term begins: that the bulk of post-pandemic inflation—and its lingering effects on household budgets—occurred during the Biden administration, shielding Trump from much of the political fallout over persistent high costs.
Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics supports ongoing concerns about food prices in 2025. Beef and veal prices remain elevated, with year-over-year increases ranging from 11% to over 25% depending on the cut. Ground beef, a kitchen staple for millions of American families, has seen particularly sharp rises.
Conservative groups like the Heritage Foundation have consistently argued that Biden-era policies—including large-scale federal spending, supply-chain disruptions, and energy regulations—drove the majority of inflationary pressures that Americans are still feeling today.
Democrats have pushed back, pointing to global factors such as droughts, avian flu outbreaks, and meat-industry consolidation as significant contributors to sustained food-price increases, regardless of who occupies the White House.
With grocery affordability continuing to rank as a top kitchen-table issue for voters, the debate over who bears responsibility—Trump or Biden—shows no signs of cooling as the new year begins.