Trump’s math on drug prices is giving America a collective migraine.
Although President Donald Trump has consistently made dramatic claims, his most recent promise to cut the cost of prescription drugs drastically left many confused and chuckling aloud. Trump repeated his well-known talking point (that he is lowering drug prices) during his speech at the American Cornerstone Institute’s Founder’s Dinner at George Washington’s Mount Vernon estate.
The catch? His math skills were, well, let’s say, fit for a comedy sketch.
He bragged, “United States, you’re gonna see the biggest cuts in drug prices (…) we’re gonna literally be cutting prices by 500 percent, 600 percent,” before citing the bizarre example of prescription drugs costing $88 in London and $130 in the United States.
If you were wondering, the government (or pharmaceutical companies) would have to pay you to take medicine if prices were reduced by more than 100%! So, according to Trump, Americans will be leaving CVS with free insulin, inhalers, and a bonus check.
Associated Press fact-checkers quickly reminded everyone that Trump’s claims were false.
They mentioned that although his administration took steps to reduce costs, no one has ever seen the “1,200 to 1,500 percent” drops he constantly boasts about. Anything over 100% is not only erroneous but mathematically impossible, per the AP.
In a move to maintain some truth in the messaging, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said that it is still “committed to carrying out President Trump’s directive to lower prescription drug prices.” However, the numbers that Donald Trump was randomly flinging around had already gone viral, provoking social media memes and booing.
Mary Trump, Donald Trump’s outspoken niece, added fuel to the fire by mocking him in a video that went viral. She laughed at her uncle’s inflated claims, calling him an “incompetent moron” who was incapable of performing “basic arithmetic.”
“From what I understand about doing basic arithmetic, this would mean that at a discount of 1500%, the asthma inhaler I now pay $700 for every other month will (…) be free,” she said. “The pharmaceutical company that makes that inhaler will have to pay me $1493000 every time I get a refill.” She sarcastically broke down the calculations and concluded that “Everybody except Donald” seems to understand that cutting expenses by 1500% is mathematically impossible.
The trolling was swift and intense. People joked that Americans would soon become millionaires from filling their prescriptions if Trump’s calculations were correct. Others noted that he has been making these overblown claims for months; in August, for example, he used the exact phrase, “1,200, 1,300, 1,500 percent.”
Donald Trump’s claim that he is not only influencing drug prices but also changing economics has become something of a joke. Trump’s war on Big Pharma may have been an election promise that won over us, but his numbers affect his reputation.
