President Donald Trump on Thursday made a claim even he admitted was “hard to believe.”
And his critics were quick to point out why it’s so difficult to grasp: It’s literally impossible.
While unveiling a new program to reduce the cost of IVF treatments, the president boasted that he’s delivered steep discounts on the prices of all medications.
“Now I’m getting them down… 500, 600, 800%,” he said. “In some cases, even more than that. It’s hard to believe.”
Reducing the price by 100% would make the item free. Going past that to the “500, 600, 800%” that Trump mentioned would, in theory, mean paying people to take the medication.
Yet he repeated that claim moments later.
He’s also made similar comments in the past. In July, for example, he said he was bringing drug prices down “1,000%, 600%, 500%, 1,500%.”
“Numbers that are not even thought to be achievable,” he added.
The plan announced on Thursday will significantly reduce the prices of some IVF drugs, which often aren’t covered by insurance. CNBC reports that Americans pay up to 271% more for the treatments than patients in other countries.
Starting in January, the prices of several Merck drugs will drop by 84%. In return, Merck will be given protection from Trump’s tariffs, according to Reuters.
But while the deal could save families thousands, Trump’s critics found his claim that prices are coming down by “500, 600, 800%” to be not just “hard to believe,” but a sign the president hasn’t quite mastered math:
