5 months ago
11
ARTICLE AD BOX
President Donald Trump is getting heat on social media for making a claim on Tuesday about cutting drug prices that’s essentially mathematically impossible.
Trump began promisingly enough with a complaint shared by Democrats and Republicans alike: the high cost of medication, and how much more Americans pay for some medications than patients in other countries.
He promised to reduce those costs ― but to a very unlikely degree.
“We’re gonna get the drug prices down. Not 30% or 40%, which would be great. Not 50% or 60%. No, we’re gonna get them down 1,000%, 600%, 500%, 1,500%,” Trump said at a Republican dinner. “Numbers that are not even thought to be achievable.”
Critics quickly pointed out the reason those numbers are not thought to be achievable: reducing the price by 100% would make the drugs free. Reducing it by “1,000%, 600%, 500%, 1,500%,” as Trump said, would make the cost negative dollars ― with the drug company essentially paying people to take the medication.
Several users asked Grok, the AI chatbot on X, if Trump’s numbers made sense. Grok called Trump’s claim “mathematically impossible,” “hyperbolic and not literal” and “total bullshit.”
But Trump insisted he could use “a certain talent that I have” to convince pharmaceutical companies that they have no choice but to reduce their prices.
Trump also mentioned an executive order he signed in May to invoke “most-favored nation” status in drug costs, which he says would ensure that drug companies can’t charge Americans any more than what they charge patients in other nations.
However, the details of that plan remain hazy, and at least one pharmaceutical CEO said discussions with the White House are ongoing and expected to take time.
Trump on Tuesday insisted that his order will lead to those price cuts.
“We will have reduced drug prices by 1,000%, by 1,100, 1,200, 1,300, 1,400, 700, 600,” he said. “Not 30 or 40 or 50%, but numbers the likes of which you’ve never even dreamed of before.”
Trump’s critics offered some free math lessons:
Quite a trick if he can do it. Are we going into negative numbers where big Pharma pays me to take their drugs?
— Dj Omega Mvp (@DjOmegaMVP) July 23, 2025The economics department at Wharton must be incredibly proud of this man's fundamental understanding of basic math. https://t.co/kuwIorU8TL
— Franklin Leonard (@franklinleonard) July 23, 2025Getting paid to take drugs sounds awesome where do I sign up
— TCL (@TitleTalkTCL) July 23, 202520 Years OfFreeJournalism
Your Support Fuels Our Mission
Your Support Fuels Our Mission
For two decades, HuffPost has been fearless, unflinching, and relentless in pursuit of the truth. Support our mission to keep us around for the next 20 — we can't do this without you.
We remain committed to providing you with the unflinching, fact-based journalism everyone deserves.
Thank you again for your support along the way. We’re truly grateful for readers like you! Your initial support helped get us here and bolstered our newsroom, which kept us strong during uncertain times. Now as we continue, we need your help more than ever. We hope you will join us once again.
We remain committed to providing you with the unflinching, fact-based journalism everyone deserves.
Thank you again for your support along the way. We’re truly grateful for readers like you! Your initial support helped get us here and bolstered our newsroom, which kept us strong during uncertain times. Now as we continue, we need your help more than ever. We hope you will join us once again.
Already contributed? Log in to hide these messages.
@realDonaldTrump is out here pitching drug deals like it’s Shark Tank for Cartels:
“I’m offering insulin for negative $300 and a lifetime supply of bleach injections… but only if you call in the next 15 minutes.”
This QVC for crackheads.
English (US) ·