During a debate about inflation on Tuesday, Republican strategist Scott Jennings told Democratic strategist Julie Loginsky that he felt he had been “lied to” regarding egg prices.
In the early days of President Donald Trump’s second term, Democrats criticized him for soaring prices, specifically pointing out that egg prices had doubled between November 2023 and March 2025. The Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis reported that this spike was partially due to the culling of millions of chickens caused by a bird flu outbreak. Jennings remarked that egg prices had significantly dropped since Trump assumed office in January 2025.
“On August 15th last year, egg prices and other food items weren’t an issue,” Jennings stated, referring to a previous promise about declining prices. “Egg prices have fallen 69%,” he added.
Loginsky, however, countered that Jennings was mixing years, asking if he meant last year when he mentioned egg prices.
The Consumer Price Index (CPI) increased by 2.7% year-over-year as of June, a figure that the Labor Statistics Bureau reported was close to expectations.
“Yeah, it’s a 27% rise,” Loginsky pressed, pointing out to Jennings that the numbers were still high.
The discussion intensified as Jennings insisted that prices had been on a downward trend since Trump’s inauguration, while Loginsky maintained that annual comparisons needed to be made.
According to a White House factsheet, the price of eggs was reported at $6.55 per dozen on January 21, 2025, but had decreased to $3.45 by March 17. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins had previously outlined her plan to tackle high egg prices in an op-ed.
As of June, the average price for eggs was $3.77, down from a record high of $6.22 in March 2025, per the St. Louis Federal Reserve.
Abby Phillip, the host of “CNN Newsnight,” intervened, noting that while there had been recent drops in egg prices, they remained elevated compared to previous years, partly due to the avian flu outbreak.
Loginsky reiterated Jennings’s past claims, reminding him of his August 15 statement about price reductions upon his presidency.
The CPI surged to a four-year high of 9% in June 2022 after President Joe Biden signed a major spending bill, even as some experts predicted inflationary risks. Prices rose more than 20% during Biden’s early administration.
“You’re not being truthful about egg prices,” Jennings told Loginsky firmly.
Jennings emphasized that egg prices were indeed falling. Nevertheless, Phillip continued to support Loginsky’s position.
Both CBS and CNN had previously accused Trump of falsely claiming that egg prices declined during his term. However, data from the St. Louis Federal Reserve indicated that the price for a dozen eggs fell by $1.10 from March to April 2025.
