Donald Trump implemented tariffs that are contributing to higher costs for voters.

Posted by The Briefing with Jen Psaki, Oct 23, 2026Checked Nov 2, 2026

Polygraph verdictTrue

Sources: 5 support3 context
Said: 1 time·
Confidence: 85%

The Briefing with Jen PsakiOct 23, 2026

As of 2026-10-23, multiple tier1 and tier2 sources show Trump's tariffs raised consumer goods prices (NY Fed: about 2.9 percentage points on goods inflation through February 2026, roughly 1% lower prices without them), and the Economist and BBC tie tariffs to higher household costs.

A guest makes this claim. Listeners heard it, so it counts against the post, and on the guest's own record.

This claim is about the present, so it is judged as of the day it was checked.

What was said

… Uhm, you know, I can't afford to put gas in my car, and it is then that they are suddenly open to the idea: Hey, wait a minute, all he cares about are his ballroom, his reflecting pool. He doesn't care about me. He's not focused on me. And also, the two biggest things that are contributing to my higher costs are both decisions that he made. Very clearly, they were his decisions, not Congress. They weren't talked about with the American people or debated, and those are tariffs and the war with Iran. And voters know that Joe Biden didn't do that. They know that it was Donald Trump, and that's why they blame him, and it's why the corruption they've become open to really caring about it, because I'll tell you, normally, the thing about corruption is …

The Briefing with Jen Psaki · Oct 23, 2026· from the transcriptPost →

What we found

Supports. The New York Fed study, reported by CNBC and others, finds tariffs added 2.9 percentage points to goods price inflation on a sample of 67 consumer goods categories as of February 2026.[6][7][8]

Supports. The Economist estimates Trump's sweeping tariffs have pushed up consumer goods costs by roughly 2% and that the Iran war raised oil prices, adding to household costs.[4]

Supports. BBC analysis says today's higher prices are at least partly the result of Trump's tariffs and the Iran war, citing the NY Fed finding of a 2.9% rise in consumer goods prices.[5]

Context. A Boston Fed paper finds strong productivity blunted the inflationary impact of tariffs, and the tariffs' net effect on core PCE was about 0.5 percentage points, a smaller but still present contribution.[1]

Context. Tariffs were partly invalidated by the Supreme Court in February 2026, but many remain in place and refunds have been paid, so the tariff cost burden persisted as of the claim date.[2][3]