Agriculture

Klar: Hamburger was more expensive under Obama. So was gasoline.

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Democrats, however, don’t want voters to know that.

by John Klar

The food affordability histrionics surrounding hamburger prices are an interesting example of left-wing hyperbole directed at Donald Trump about a serious long-term problem that the Left has no plans to fix. Like egg and gasoline prices, the goal is to sow midterm angst and fear, regardless of whether President Trump caused the problem, has the power to fix it, or whether the problem is fixable at all. This cynical pattern is profoundly dangerous.

(The author with one of his Hereford beef cows. Her name is Sindy. Photo by Jacqui Klar.)

Donald J. Trump did not cause the droughts that have decimated U.S. farms or the COVID-19 processing shutdowns that forced ranchers to feed animals at a loss and liquidate stock. He did not cause the spike in input costs that well preceded the Iran conflict and that soared beginning during the Biden years, helped along by his Orwellian-named “Inflation Reduction Act.”

In real (inflation-adjusted) terms, hamburger was $8.83/pound in February 2015 during Obama’s reign; it was only $8.57 in August 2026. Much like Obama deporting illegals and “separating children from their families,” it’s only a problem when Trump is in power.

But the underlying drought and market conditions that spurred high burger prices in 2026 also caused the 2015 spike, and the problem will survive long after Donald Trump has composted in his grave. Partisan bickering diverts attention away from competent economic analysis and delays addressing the root causes of food inflation. Farmers and ranchers are left in limbo; so are consumers.

In real terms, eggs are now $2.127/dozen. They were $4.14/dozen (adjusted for inflation) in August 2015. Where was the howling and hand-wringing then?

The high cost of eggs in early 2025 was almost certainly exacerbated by unfair market manipulations by poultry businesses. (Importantly, the companies involved have settled, but not admitted wrongdoing.)

Somehow, that was completely lost in the panicked TDS moment of derision: “How dare Trump not deliver on lower egg prices in his first month in office!!? Oh, egg prices are down now? Please find me something else to indignantly gripe about! It feeds my dark soul!”

The oligarchs and corporate corruption that helped drive spikes in egg prices are of no interest to the TDS cult—they want oligarchy and high egg prices if they can be weaponized against the President who actually investigated and halted the price-fixing corruption.

Democrats currently ululating over gas-pump prices ignore Democrats’ assault on oil production and refining, and Biden’s beloved war in Ukraine or his inflation-fueling “Inflation Reduction Act.”

Yes, gasoline prices have increased, and the Iran conflict has compounded the problem in the short term. Frankly, it is an economic miracle that prices are not higher. This is likely attributable to Donald Trump’s early support for domestic oil

Yet, as the midterms approach, which party embraces policies that will ensure fuel price stability, and which party seeks instead to replicate Germany’s energy path to “net-zero” and economic ruin?

Spreading fear and lies about inflation and grocery prices also eclipses the plethora of good economic news in this midterm cycle—inflation that hasn’t gone through the roof despite the war and attendant predictions, lower unemployment, growing GDP, and steady wage and job growth.

The Trump-hating cult wants failure at any cost. The Democrats hate it when things go well for the nation, so they must resort to lies to scare and deceive voters into allowing them to reclaim power—so they can fuel more inflation with Learning Centers, hospice fraud, USAID corruption, free stuff for illegals, and routing tax dollars to their favorite lefty NGOs or even the Democratic Party itself.

But if gasoline prices are the sole metric for those capable only of one-stage thinking, how is it that the electorate is being conditioned with histrionics about $4.36/gallon gasoline when it was $5.90 under Obama in May 2011 (inflation-adjusted), $5.82 under Biden in June 2022 (inflation-adjusted), and $6.30 under George W. Bush during the Iraq War (inflation-adjusted)?

The sky is not falling: the failing Democrat Party is, and it desperately resorts to any Alinsky tactic to regain its totalitarian racketeering perch.

This midterm tomfoolery distracts the nation from the profound threats that transcend partisan battles and should unite us in common cause. Our farmers and ranchers are struggling while spoiled consumers demand inexpensive food. Affordable energy reserves and processing facilities are a necessity for economic growth as well as stable food prices.

The federal deficit needs addressing, or inflation will pummel Americans of every political stripe—especially on food prices!

Tell your anxiety-ridden liberal neighbors that prices were higher under Democrats and will be again unless we all stop blaming Trump for things he has no control over and start addressing root problems. Of course, today’s Democratic Party is the root of most of America’s problems and stands brazenly in the way of any effort to solve them.

Democrats want Iran to win in its conflict with the U.S., even if it does have nuclear weapons; they want to lose Greenland; they want illegal immigrants to ravage American streets. For the same self-destructive psychosis, they want groceries and gasoline to be very expensive so they can win votes—and then make eggs and gasoline even more expensive (and blame Trump).

Don’t buy the inflation hype from the inflation party. They are saboteurs who cut off their own noses—and those of their children and grandchildren—to spite Donald Trump’s face.

The author is a Brookfield best-selling author, lawyer, farmer and pastor.


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Categories: Agriculture, Commentary

10 replies »

  1. Fear is all they have John…. that and short memories. Thanks for the history
    lesson. We need more of them.

  2. John hints at the idea that the democrat party is a lot like the islamofascist regime in Iran…it doesn’t care if it’s people suffer. Advancing the party and the ideology is paramount. Many good points made. I can see why it touched a nerve with the moonbat lurkers.

  3. So you “inflation adjusted” the price of hamburger in 2015. But DIDN’T adjust the price of hamburger today. You DO realize that’s 11 years of inflation tacked on to the price of hamburger in 2015…which I noticed you did NOT publish. Care to guess what today’s price of hamburger will be in 2037?
    Misleading statistical manipulation at best. Deceptive writing without a doubt.
    Basic fairness is just beyond the conservative party, isn’t it?

  4. All Commiecrats talk about on the tube is affordability but don’t tell you one thing they will do to lower prices. Please Commiecrats tell me what you would do to lower the price of oil, gas and diesel. Would you pump more oil, build more refineries or will we go back to wind, solar and mandating electric cars. Funny the people that gave us these problems are telling us they can fix them but not how they can fix them. Orange man bad.

  5. If you mention people on fixed SS that is governed by the CPI’s bogus rate of inflation that doesn’t include gas prices, increase taxes and includes auto sales (3%) in a list with food increases (as high as 50% that hits people the hardest) in actuality the inflation rate would be about 25%. The CPI needs two lists, the low bought items and the items mostly bought for a truthful financial inflation status. The CPI is manipulated to render false status. I don’t give a damn what the inflation rate is for vehicles or the theater, I’m a fuel, grocery, living expense person on SS and I’m taking a downfall. The highest diesel cost back when the Carter crunch was on and “NO FUEL” farce was $4.79. Just traveled through NY & PA, truck stops advertise $7.15. That’s far greater than a lowly 3% CPI increase, True facts. Add the inflation rate of groceries and the fuel costs, accumulates greater than 3%. Travel and buy. I just traveled fro Alabama to Vermont, 1600 miles. Spent more than I have ever. People will have to buy fuel oil to heat houses, tell them the cost is cheaper now than previous. FACTS. PO’d in VT.

    • For up to date, product inflation increases by U.S. Energy Information Administration for several listed products ref to
      Price increases since 1995
      https://www.macrotrends.net/3401/us-diesel-prices

      U.S. Diesel Prices: $6.38 as of September 28, 2026.
      Units: Dollars per Gallon
      Frequency: Weekly, Ending Monday
      Release: Gasoline and Diesel Fuel Update
      Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration

      In 1995 diesel cost for ref zero (starting point to 82.34% in 10/05/2026 updated weekly. Does not account for past max prices such as in the Carter years.
      Good site listing other commodity products
      Truck stops are very high prices, over the top, I avoid them. Mentioned a price in my previous comment. This site should be kept handy to view the trends.

  6. A simple search on google will highlight the inaccuracies of Mr Klar’s statements:

    “• Gas Prices: Average regular gas prices during the Obama administration (2009–2017) hovered largely between $2.50 and $3.70 per gallon, with a notable spike above $3.60 in 2011–2014 before dropping sharply below $2.50 by 2015–2016.
    • Hamburger (Ground Beef) Prices: Per-pound ground beef prices tracked by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics averaged roughly $2.20 to $3.00 for much of Obama’s term, though severe droughts caused a spike up to around $4.00 by 2014–2015. By contrast, national averages for ground beef have since climbed significantly higher.”
    So I call BS.

    My Klar has been suffering from BFtS (Blindly Following tRump Syndrome) for quite some time. I suggest he stop watching/ reading Fox. Breitbart News and other like media and start getting his information from unbiased sites like AP and Reuters. After 30 days or so his symptoms should start to wane.

    • I wouldn’t blast Mr. Klar, he’s been spot on in many many articles and is uict intelligent. Be glad he publishes articles in VDC and American Thinker. He does a lot of out of the box thinking. True, there are many various “news” sources and AI. All have to be verified. I mentioned “U.S. Energy Information Administration”. In reality USEIA could be a Russian hoax, but I crossed referenced and the info seem quite realistic. I present links that should be verified, but gives a general indication of material that could be real. Bottom line, reader beware, but don’t assassinate a point of view, learn from it and gather your own info, then thump your chest like a proud Partridge.