Reed Urges Trump to Stop Insulting Americans Over Rising Inflation

WASHINGTON, DC -- Today, after a new Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) report shows the annualized Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation rate for April 2026 was 3.8 percent, its highest level in three years, and President Trump told reporters "I don't think about Americans' financial situation" while also calling a White House reporter a "stupid person" because she accurately pointed out that he promised to bring inflation down, U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) issued the following statement:

"President Trump should stop insulting people and start working with Congress to implement smarter policies that would actually lower prices instead of raising them.

"The facts are clear and overwhelming: President Trump's reckless policies continue to increase prices and drive up costs at an alarming rate.

"Even after he's been rebuffed by the courts, his tariffs are still costing working families thousands of dollars. His disastrous war in Iran, which he claims he already won, continues to drive up prices for gas, food, clothing, and more. And his dangerous attacks on Fed independence threaten permanent and profound economic damage.

"Today's inflation data confirms what everyone knows: President Trump is making life more expensive for American families. Trump's tariffs have added about $20,000 to the price of home construction and consumer confidence dropped to its lowest level since 2014. The president's tariffs have driven average new car prices above $50,000 for the first time ever, while household credit card balances hit record levels. Families are getting squeezed, but the Trump Administration continues to force Americans to pay more while getting less. And he has alienated close U.S. allies and trade partners who now see the U.S. as unreliable.

"The Trump-Republican response to all of this isn't to try to improve the economy, but to redraw Congressional maps in so-called red states so that voters have less of a say. The American people are smart. Donald Trump and his Republican enablers don't want change, but it is very clear the American people do."

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