They stormed into power on a wave of outrage, pledging to slash inflation and crack down on crime, but Republicans have done nothing to fulfill these promises.
Now, almost six months after the 2024 elections, President Donald Trump and the Republican majorities in both chambers of Congress have delivered little more than political theater.
The harsh reality? Prices are still squeezing American families, crime rates remain stubbornly high, and the GOP’s broken promises and so-called solutions have proven to be nothing but hot air.
The economic numbers tell a damning story.
Despite controlling Congress and multiple statehouses, Republicans have failed to pass any meaningful legislation to address the cost-of-living crisis.
Grocery prices remain 20% higher than pre-pandemic levels, rent continues to consume record portions of paychecks, and their only “plan” has been to blame the previous administration while offering no substantive policy fixes.
Even their much-hyped tax cut proposals stalled amid infighting, leaving working-class voters wondering when—or if—relief will ever come.
On crime, the GOP’s record is even more embarrassing.
Despite campaigning on a promise to “restore law and order,” FBI data shows that cities and states under Republican leadership have seen no significant drop in violent crime.
Some red-state metros have experienced alarming surges in robberies and carjackings, exposing the hollowness of their tough-on-crime posturing.
Instead of investing in community policing or mental health resources, the Republicans have wasted months on partisan stunts—pushing draconian sentencing laws that overcrowd prisons and trying to kill people who are too poor to hire a good lawyer—without making streets safer.
As of April 2025, grocery prices in the United States remain significantly higher than pre-pandemic levels. In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic led to substantial disruptions in supply chains and shifts in consumer behavior, contributing to a surge in food prices.
Price Increases from 2019 to 2024:
- Milk: In 2019, a gallon of milk cost less than $3. By 2024, prices had risen to around $4.50 to $5.00, marking a 50% increase. The average price for a gallon of milk was $4.05 in March, according to data published April 10, 2025, by the U.S. Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
- Eggs: The price of a dozen eggs saw significant fluctuations, peaking at about $5.00 in early 2023 due to supply chain issues and avian flu outbreaks. By 2024, prices stabilized at much higher than pre-pandemic prices. The average nationwide price decreased by about a quarter in March, but at $6.27 for a dozen, the cost of eggs is still up 75% in the last 12 months, an increase that is greater than those of any other of the six staple grocery items tracked by consumer researchers.
- Bread: In 2019, a loaf of white bread typically cost around $1.27 while the price of whole wheat bread was around $1.95. That price for that loaf of bread increased to between $3.79 and $7.99 by 2025, reflecting a steep rise.
- Ground Beef: The price of ground beef escalated from about $3.73 per pound in 2019 to $5.79 per pound today, indicating a substantial increase in meat prices.
Overall, by 2024, food prices were estimated to be 20-25% higher compared to 2019.
Recent Trends and Projections:
In 2025, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) forecasts a more moderate increase in food prices. The overall food price inflation is anticipated to be around 3.4%, with food-at-home prices expected to rise by 3.3%. This projection suggests a deceleration in the rate of price increases compared to the peaks observed during the height of the pandemic.
However, certain categories may experience price changes that deviate from these averages. For instance, the USDA anticipates that prices for sugar and sweets could increase by 3.4%, and beef and veal prices might rise by as much as 4.4% in 2025.
“Trump’s incompetence is revealing a broken country — and none of the leaders Democrat or Republican have proposed the kind of systemic change it will take to rebuild it,” said Corbin Trent, who worked for Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
While there is some indication that the rapid escalation of grocery prices has slowed, as of April 2025, prices for many staple items remain significantly higher than they were before the pandemic. Consumers continue to face elevated food costs, and ongoing inflationary pressures may influence prices in the coming months.
The public safety trends reflect a continuation of the downward trajectory observed since 2022, with 2024 marking some of the most significant declines in crime rates in recent history.
For instance, the 16% drop in homicides in 2024 represents a substantial decrease from the peak levels observed during the pandemic years. While Republicans have not stopped the slide, they have done nothing to earn credit for the continuation of the declining crime rate.
Despite relentless fearmongering about “urban chaos” and “soft-on-crime Democrats,” FBI data shows violent crime trends largely unchanged in Republican-led states, with some even seeing spikes in homicides and thefts.
In Washington, nothing has been proposed or done to prevent crime or reduce the number of offenses. At most, GOP policymakers are longing to bring back draconian measures that inflict suffering on those trapped in the criminal justice system, like the death penalty.
The truth is now undeniable: Republicans never had a real strategy.
They weaponized frustration, rode a wave of voter anger into office, and then promptly abandoned their pledges the moment they took power so they could concentrate on weakening the government and giving big tax cuts to the richest people in the nation.
Their agenda has been dominated by culture war distractions—banning books, attacking LGBTQ rights, and staging unjust performative events, like deporting innocent people—while the kitchen-table issues they campaigned on gather dust.
For the Americans who believed their promises—the single mom choosing between groceries and rent, the small-business owner struggling with theft—the betrayal is palpable.
They were sold a vision of decisive action. What they got was gridlock, finger-pointing, and empty slogans.
The razor-thin GOP victory in the 2024 election was not a mandate. Now is their reckoning.
As voters watch their wallets drain and their neighborhoods struggle, one question looms: How long will citizens tolerate leaders who only know how to campaign—not govern?