Inflation continues to grow faster than wages, which necessarily exacerbates the affordability crisis for American consumers.
U.S. inflation surged again in May, pushed higher by the effects of the war in Iran - MS NOW apple.news/AteXedGBsQhi...
— Ms. Kevin (@kkalmes31.bsky.social) 2026-06-10T13:04:18.267Z
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/u-s-inflation-surge-may-2026-war-iran
For months, Donald Trump and White House officials had a habit of insisting that the president had delivered an economy with no inflation. The public has heard a lot less such talk lately, and theres no great mystery as to why. CNBC reported:
The consumer price index, a broad gauge of goods and services costs across the U.S. economy, rose at a seasonally adjusted 0.5% for the month, putting the annual inflation rate at 4.2%, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Wednesday. Both numbers were in line with the Dow Jones consensus.
Inflation climbed above 4% for the first time in three years, though the increase met expectations amid concerns over how much the surge in energy prices would impact the economy. The level was the highest since April 2023 and above the 3.8% level from April.
Asked for his reaction to the developments, Trump said the latest inflation data was great, adding,
I love the inflation. (He went on to claim that
his love for inflation is based on a secret program that takes Iranian oil. Its unclear whether that program exists in reality.)
Q: Are you concerned about the latest inflation numbers that came out this morning?
TRUMP: No, I love it. I love the inflation. You know why? Because as soon as this war is over -- do you know we've been taking out millions of barrels of oil? You know who doesn't know? Iran until right now.
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) 2026-06-10T16:08:03.927Z
As for whats driving the discouraging data, it is to the surprise of no one energy costs that are pushing prices higher, which is the direct result of the war with Iran.
Perhaps most importantly, NBC News report emphasized that inflations rise has surpassed wage growth, which necessarily exacerbates the affordability crisis gripping American consumers......
And no one is buying it. The latest national CNN poll found
that 77% of respondents, including a majority of Republican voters, agreed that Trumps policies have increased the cost of living. The same poll found that just 30% of Americans approve of the presidents handling of the economy, a career low for the Republican across both terms. That mirrored the results of the latest national Associated Press poll.