Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg isn't holding back when it comes to the Trump administration's economic record. In a sharp critique over the weekend, he warned that rising prices and stalled healthcare relief are squeezing American families harder than ever.

Promises Made, Prices Rising

Buttigieg took to X on Saturday with a pointed message: "Everywhere I go, people are talking about the same thing: the president's failure to bring down prices and make life in this country more affordable." He specifically called out grocery and energy costs as areas where the administration's promises haven't materialized.

In a Fox News clip he shared, Buttigieg expanded on his concerns. "You know, this president took office promising that he was going to make life more affordable on day one," he said. "He said grocery prices would go down. They've gone up. Energy prices are up while he's killing utility projects that would create more energy generation."

The Transportation Secretary didn't stop at inflation. He went after congressional Republicans on healthcare, asking: "A big issue in the midterms will be why did so many congressional Republicans vote to cut Medicare, while they were giving tax cuts to some of the wealthiest Americans, and why do they refuse to extend the tax credits that will help with everybody's premiums going up?"

Mixed Reviews for Trump's Economic Agenda

The Trump administration's affordability push has been a tale of two strategies. While some policies have drawn praise, others have sparked serious backlash.

On the housing front, Opendoor Technologies Inc. (OPEN) CEO Kaz Nejatian applauded Trump's approach, citing moves to limit institutional investors and plans to lower mortgage rates. He argued these actions tackle fundamental barriers to homeownership that have persisted for years.

But the administration's messaging on food costs hasn't landed as well. New dietary guidance and comments from Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins about low-cost meals triggered criticism online, with many saying the White House seemed disconnected from the reality of rising grocery bills.

The administration has pointed to falling egg prices and lower housing costs as evidence of progress. Still, prices for many other food staples keep climbing, and overall inflation remains stubbornly above the Federal Reserve's target—a fact that's hard to spin away when families are doing their weekly shopping.