Trump’s “Affordability Czar” Will Make Things Cheaper—For Billionaires
Trump’s new “affordability czar” is supposed to lower costs, but his tariffs and budget cuts will make everything more expensive.
Ah, yes—another day, another Trump administration “czar.”
Not real policy changes, not structural economic reforms—no, just appoint a new czar and slap a catchy title on it.
This time, we’re getting an “Affordability Czar,” whose job, according to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, is to find five to eight ways to reduce costs for consumers. Sounds great, right?
Well, there’s just one tiny problem: at the same time, Trump is set to slap tariffs on Mexico and Canada while doubling them on China. In other words, he’s enacting policies that will raise prices for American consumers—while appointing someone to, uh, make things more affordable? It’s like setting your kitchen on fire and hiring a “fire czar” instead of putting it out.
Trump’s Tariff Time Bomb
If Trump’s tariff plans sound familiar, that’s because we’ve seen this movie before. Spoiler alert: it ends with higher prices and a lot of finger-pointing.
The nonpartisan Peterson Institute estimates that his latest round of tariffs could cost the average household an extra $1,200 a year. But don’t worry—Bessent dismissed those concerns as “alarmist,” because who needs economists when you have vibes-based policymaking?
And let’s talk about the irony here. Trump is billing himself as the savior of working-class Americans, but these tariffs will hit their wallets the hardest. Tariffs are basically a tax on imported goods—things like cars, appliances, and groceries. Corporations don’t eat those costs; they pass them down to consumers. So, congratulations, America—your weekly grocery bill is about to get a lot more patriotic (and expensive).
A Czar for the People, A Budget for the Billionaires
Meanwhile, while average Americans get stuck with tariff-driven price hikes, Trump’s GOP just greenlit a budget resolution packed with tax breaks for the rich and cuts to programs like Medicaid. And just for fun, they’re also trying to dismantle the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which, you know, protects consumers from financial scams. But sure, let’s put an “Affordability Czar” in charge and pretend like any of this is designed to help regular people.
And if that’s not enough economic sabotage, let’s talk about Trump’s immigration crackdown.
If he actually follows through on mass deportations, industries like agriculture and construction—where immigrants make up a huge part of the workforce—will take a hit. Translation? Food prices go up, housing costs rise, and GDP growth slows down. So, once again, Trump’s policies are causing inflation, while his administration acts like it’s fighting it.
Make It Make Sense
The “Affordability Czar” is just another empty title in Trump’s ever-growing collection of czars, designed to make it seem like something is being done when, in reality, everything is being made worse.
If this czar actually wants to bring down prices, their first move should be to fight Trump himself—because his tariffs, budget cuts, and economic policies are a direct attack on affordability.
But let’s be real: this isn’t about affordability for you. It’s about affordability for them—corporations, billionaires, and political donors. Trump’s administration isn’t fighting inflation.
They’re just figuring out how to shift the blame while cashing in.
That’s the point.
Zahead, Chaos Analyst