President Donald Trump has sparked widespread ridicule after claiming his administration would slash drug prices by “500, 600 percent,” a mathematically impossible figure that quickly went viral. The remarks, made during a Saturday night speech in Virginia, drew mockery from fact checkers, health experts, and even his niece, Mary Trump, who called him “an incompetent moron.” The controversy adds to ongoing scrutiny of Trump’s boasts about his administration’s handling of prescription costs.
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Virginia Dinner Remarks
Speaking at the American Cornerstone Institute’s Founder’s Dinner at Mount Vernon, Trump promised sweeping cuts in medication costs. “United States, you’re gonna see the biggest cuts in drug prices,” he told the audience, before adding: “We’re gonna literally be cutting prices by 500 percent, 600 percent.” He cited examples of price differences between the U.S. and London but failed to explain the inflated figures.
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Previous False Claims
Saturday’s remarks echoed similar statements Trump made in August. At the time, he boasted: “You know, we’ve cut drug prices by 1,200, 1,300, 1,400, 1,500%. I don’t mean 50%, I mean 14 — 1,500%.” The extraordinary numbers drew immediate scrutiny from analysts and media outlets. Critics say the repeated exaggerations highlight Trump’s disregard for accuracy when touting economic or healthcare achievements.
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Fact Checkers Respond
The Associated Press previously branded Trump’s claims “false,” pointing out that cutting drug prices by more than 100% would effectively mean people are being paid to take medication. While the administration has introduced some measures aimed at lowering prescription costs, experts insist no evidence supports reductions anywhere near Trump’s numbers. Analysts argue the exaggeration undermines public trust in legitimate reforms.
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Federal Agency Position
Despite the controversy, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services issued a statement this week reaffirming its commitment to Trump’s directive. The agency said it was working to ensure “Americans can access medications at fairer, more transparent prices and holding the pharmaceutical industry accountable.” However, officials stopped short of endorsing the extreme claims Trump repeated in his speeches.
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Mary Trump’s Mockery
Mary Trump, the president’s niece and a vocal critic, amplified the backlash with a pointed video response. “Okay, this is extraordinary,” she said, calling her uncle “an incompetent moron” who cannot do “basic math.” She replayed his remarks about cutting drug prices by up to 1,500%, before sarcastically calculating what that would mean for her own asthma inhaler: “Not only free, but the pharmaceutical company will have to pay me $1,493,000 every time I get a refill.”
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Impossible Arithmetic Highlighted
Mary concluded her comments by driving home the mathematical absurdity. “Cutting the cost of something by 1500% is mathematically impossible. Who knew? Well, everybody except Donald because he can’t do math or arithmetic as it were,” she said. Her remarks quickly circulated online, fueling another round of jokes and criticism aimed at the president.