A MAGA Memorial Day
Julia Conley for Common Dreams
A new analysis released Thursday
shows that even without travel expenses, celebrations are likely to be more
costly than they were last year thanks to Donald Trump’s policies.
Both Trump’s assault on Iran—and the predictable result of
the Iranians closing the Strait of Hormuz, a key trade waterway, in
retaliation—and his tariff and trade policies are likely to make the holiday
more expensive, with prices for barbecue classics up 13% on average since last
year, more than four times the inflation rate, according to two think tanks, Groundwork
Collaborative and The Century Foundation (TCF).
Ground beef for hamburgers is up 20%, while Johnsonville
bratwursts are up 28%, Kraft hot dogs are up 12%, and Martin’s rolls are 19%
more expensive than they were in 2025.
Those shopping for produce won’t fare much better, with the
average price of a head of iceberg lettuce up 19% over last year, seedless
watermelon costing 17% more, and six ears of yellow corn costing a whopping 98%
more than it did in 2025.
“Higher fresh-produce prices in particular reflect Trump’s mishandling of the economy,” reads the report. “Last year, the number of farmers filing for bankruptcy rose 46%, as Trump’s tariffs unleashed chaos and uncertainty in the industry. Fertilizer is an essential component for growing every item of produce and tariffs in place for much of 2025 drove fertilizer prices ever higher; these prices have remained elevated even after the Trump administration was forced to roll them back due to backlash.”
Janelle Jones, senior fellow at TCF, emphasized that both
the tariffs and the war are “two decisions the president made and can undo
whenever he wants but by his own admission he doesn’t spend any time thinking about Americans’
financial situation.”
“Families are getting squeezed on the price of everything,
and leaders in Washington don’t
seem to be paying attention,” said Jones.
Higher tomato costs—which are up 22% over last year—come
after Trump ended the US-Mexico tomato trade agreement that had been in place
for decades. Instead, he imposed a 17% tariff on tomatoes that come from the
country’s southern neighbor.
Even the act of serving food and packing it up as leftovers
will be more expensive this year, with heavy-duty aluminum foil costing 18%
more—also thanks to the tariffs—and disposable plasticware up 20%.
“The Middle East is a major producer of oil and petrochemicals,
which is used to produce plastic,” reads the report. “Increases in the price of
plastic will ripple across grocery bills for months to come as packaging gets
more expensive as well.”
Less than two weeks after the president—who campaigned on
reducing the cost of living—proudly stated that he doesn’t “think about Americans’
financial situation” when it comes to the unprovoked Iran conflict, Groundwork
and TCF also highlighted the impact the war of choice has had on jet fuel
prices, and in turn, air travel.
“Jet fuel has soared to record highs and companies are
passing these costs on to consumers,” the report states. “The average domestic
airfare ticket is now 31% more expensive than in January, according to industry
data. For a family of four, this equates to an extra $360 on plane tickets for
a typical flight.”
Fuel prices contributed to Spirit Airlines’ decision to shut
down entirely, leaving larger carriers with no budget airline to
compete with.
“Trump’s senseless tariffs and illegal war are robbing
American families of their relaxing summer vacation,” said Breyon Williams,
chief economist for Groundwork. “From the ticket counter to the cookout,
consumers are scaling back and going without in the face of Trump’s summer
sticker shock.”
