Democrats left with egg on their face after cost of a dozen plummets under Trump

The price of eggs began spiraling out of control under the previous administration and continued rising even after President Donald Trump took office in January. While Trump noted that he had "inherited a mess," Democrats and their allies seized on the issue as an albatross to hang around the president's neck.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and a gaggle of other Democrats wasted no time complaining, suggesting in a letter just six days into Trump's second term that he was supposedly not doing enough to lower grocery prices. Democratic MSNBC contributor Brian Tyler Cohen, Brian Krassenstein, and other Trump critics piled on, mocking the president over the mounting egg prices.

Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and his comrades kept this line of attack in recent months, characterizing Trump's promise to lower prices as a lie.

Democrats' loss is once again Americans' gain.

The price of eggs has plummeted by 61% since Trump took office — a trend that forced even the president's critics at CNN to admit that his "egg price fiction has suddenly become reality."

The price for a dozen eggs remained south of $3 between 1994 and 2022. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data indicates that but for a few exceptions, the price during that period hovered around or below $2.

Over 5.2 million birds were culled in the last 30 days.

Prices began to skyrocket during the second half of the Biden era, then hit record highs earlier this year, reaching an all-time average high of $6.22 in March. In some places, the Associated Press indicated that consumers have been shelling out as much as a dollar per egg.

There were multiple factors at play, including the shift in various states to cage-free hens and record consumer demand. However, the primary cause was the mass exterminations of commercial and backyard bird populations ordered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in response to highly pathogenic avian influenza A (H5) viruses.

RELATED: The 'cage-free' myth: Why everything you think you know about ethical eggs is wrong

Allen J. Schaben/Getty Images

Blaze News previously noted that between Feb. 8, 2022 — when the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspect Service first confirmed bird flu belonging to the clade 2.3.4.4b in an American commercial flock — and March 2025, the USDA had directed the extermination of over 166.41 million birds. Fewer egg-laying birds naturally means diminished supply and higher prices.

The Trump administration announced a $1 billion strategy in February to curb bird flu, protect the poultry industry, and lower egg prices. Exploring temporary import options was a big part of the administration's strategy to drive down prices — and perhaps one of the most immediately effective.

In subsequent months, the administration promoted egg imports from various countries, including Brazil, South Korea, and Turkey, and leaned on Europe to export more. Simultaneously, the administration relaxed regulations for eggs laid by hens raised for meat, reported Reuters.

While the bird flu, which is endemic in wild birds, is still infecting commercial flocks — over 5.2 million birds were culled in the last 30 days — the importation of eggs and the easing of restrictions on eggs have helped lower prices.

RELATED: The California law clucking up US egg prices — and how to beat it

The USDA indicated on Friday that a major reason why prices are down is below-average demand for eggs.

"Shell egg demand posted a slight improvement headed into the Memorial Day weekend but remained well below average in the continuation of a trend that began during the sharp price increases in late winter," the agency said in its weekly report.

An April study from Clarify Capital highlighted by Fox Business noted that 34% of Americans had stopped buying eggs on account of the rising prices; 61% of Americans reported eating fewer eggs; and 44% reported using eggs less frequently in cooking or baking.

At the time of publication, the price of a dozen eggs was just over $2.50, according to Trading Economics.

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