Mayor Bottoms: “These are real concerns affecting real people, and it’s all related to the policies that are coming directly from Donald Trump.”
WASHINGTON, DC — Today, Defend America Action is releasing a new report highlighting how, as a result of Trump’s tariff-driven inflation, Georgians paid an average of $1,178 more in goods and services in 2025. The report shows that inflation and the cost of living are the top concerns for most Georgia voters, from families to farmers to small business owners, and one in three are concerned about being able to afford the cost of food. Trump’s anemic economy is hitting the poorest Georgians the hardest, and prices for groceries, energy, and health care are still soaring.
Defend America Action also hosted a press call this morning with former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, Georgia State Representatives Sam Park and Jasmine Clark, and Protect Our Care Georgia’s Liz Ernst to discuss Trump and Congressional Republicans’ affordability crisis and its consequences for Georgians.
“We are hearing from Georgians who are concerned about rising health care costs. They are concerned about the cost of putting food on the table. They are concerned about the cost of gasoline. Students are sharing with me that they are making decisions between paying rent and eating,” said former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms. “These are real concerns affecting real people, and it’s all related to the policies that are coming directly from Donald Trump.”
“Georgians aren’t just paying more under the Trump economy. Many of them are struggling to find a job,” said State Representative Sam Park. “This is what life looks like under an administration that has chosen chaos over stability, that’s chosen foreign wars that are driving up costs at home, that’s choosing to attack immigrant families, and that’s holding an economy hostage with small businesses and hard working families caught in the crossfire.”
“Donald Trump promised the American people that he would lower costs. That was a lie,” said State Representative Jasmine Clark. “Instead of costs going down, Georgians are paying over $1,000 more for goods and services than they were before, and they are absolutely feeling that pressure. Donald Trump’s illegal tariffs that cause chaos and wreak havoc on Georgia farmers and on small business owners have hit Georgians very hard.”
“Affordability is the number one issue for Georgians right now,” said Protect Our Care Georgia’s Liz Ernst. “Costs are up across the board, but nowhere is that pressure more personal or more immediate than health care. I talk with people every day who are doing everything right. They’re working hard, they’re running their businesses, going to work. They’re trying to stay insured, yet they’re still falling behind.”
A recording of the press call is available here. Defend America Action’s new Georgia affordability report is available here.
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