Before the election, the issue of eggs took over the conversation. Specifically, the high cost of eggs was constantly in the news, blamed on the economy under President Joe Biden. Everywhere you turned, there was talk about how the price of eggs was skyrocketing. As one person in a New York Times focus group in August 2023 put it, the country needed to bring Donald Trump back to fix the egg situation:
“I hope that people can get over their own feelings about tweets and things he says and look at the bigger picture with where our economy is now. We could all have great feelings and nice tweets. But when milk is $6 or $7 a gallon and when eggs are $6 for a dozen, how many feelings do you reallfvy need to have?”
Similarly, in a May 2024 focus group, a woman shared how high egg prices were affecting her budget: “I was taking a look at my bank account and how expenses in groceries—I have three kids—went from $200 to $400. Explain to me how a 12 count of eggs can be $2 and then the next month it’s $6. Why? What’s going on? It’s a little bit sad.”
After the election, both Trump and Biden supporters agreed that the cost of eggs had played a role in Trump’s victory. The claim made sense—eggs had tripled in price since 2020, which is noticeable for anyone shopping for groceries. But the real reason behind the price hike wasn’t something any politician could easily solve.
The price of eggs went up because of two main factors: the war between Russia and Ukraine (which disrupted the supply of grain for chickens) and avian flu, which killed many chickens. Fewer chickens means higher costs for eggs, and it’s not something President Biden or any other leader could fix just by using fiscal policies. As it stands, egg prices remain high and are expected to stay that way for the foreseeable future.
As for Trump, he doesn’t seem particularly concerned about lowering the cost of living. His time in office has been spent rolling back diversity programs, targeting immigrant children, and making controversial decisions, such as attempting to impose tariffs on random countries.
These moves would actually raise the cost of living, as goods from abroad would become more expensive due to tariffs, and labor shortages from deportations could increase domestic prices too.
But some Democrats see this as an opportunity, like newly elected Arizona Senator Ruben Gallego, who recently sent a letter to the president about his failure to address the issue of high egg prices. Gallego pointed out that while Biden campaigned on lowering food prices, eggs should be a key part of that plan. He wrote, “High egg prices affect not only the wallets of my constituents, but their nutritional wellbeing.”
Senator Elizabeth Warren and 19 others followed up with their own letter, accusing Trump of neglecting his promises to lower food prices. Instead, he focused on mass deportations and pardoning those involved in the January 6 attack.
This situation leaves Democrats in a tricky position. They are trying to balance their response to Trump’s actions, which many see as illegal, while addressing concerns that are close to voters’ hearts—like food prices. It’s a tough task since they don’t control Congress, and their voters are tired of outrage.
Some critics argue that focusing on egg prices might not be the most effective approach. After all, sending a strongly worded letter about grocery prices to a president who is releasing violent individuals from prison might seem powerless. Yet, there’s also something inherently relatable about the ifssue of eggs.
It’s a common concern among voters, and the idea of voting for someone who promises to reduce egg prices but ultimately causes harm in other areas is something that could catch voters’ attention. If the public starts questioning whether they want to vote for someone promising cheaper eggs only to see cuts to cancer research or other vital programs, it could shift polling numbers. This shift might influence Republicans in swing districts to reconsider their stances, providing Democrats with leverage.
At the end of the day, nobody really knows how the resistance to Trump will play out this time around, or what channels it will use. So, maybe focusing on the egg issue isn’t such a bad idea. People need eggs to eat, and it might just be the kind of issue that resonates.
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