Rising Costs and Politics Threaten the American Dream

WHO:

Alternet - President Trump won the 2024 U.S. presidential election.

USA Today - Esther Malkin, 65, is a former regional sales representative.

USA Today - Mike DeDivitis, 71, is a former postal worker.

USA Today - Kerigan Rosado, 29, is an administrative office assistant at Central Michigan University.

USA Today - Mary Mehrkens, 34, is a YouTube news editor.

USA Today - Peg Kilroy, 74, has a private Medicare insurance plan through Blue Cross Blue Shield.

WHAT:

Alternet - Inflation has worsened under President Trump’s second presidency, according to economists.

Alternet - The cost of vegetables rose 12% last year, and tomatoes by 30% in some states.

Alternet - A typical urban-dwelling U.S. family spends up to 60% of their income on rent.

Alternet - The average cost of a two-bedroom apartment in San Francisco is $5,200 per month.

USA Today - Consumer prices have spiked for five straight years, with prices rising more than 25%.

USA Today - The annual inflation rate for June was 3.5%, higher than any month in 2025.

USA Today - DeDivitis needed to pull $2,000 from his retirement account for truck repairs.

USA Today - Housing costs in Culver City, California, are about $900,000 for a condo, not including fees.

USA Today - Social Security does not cover Malkin's rent and utilities for her 750-square-foot house.

USA Today - Average costs for ACA enrollees soared 114% in 2026 after Congress failed to extend enhanced subsidies.

WHERE:

Alternet - The United States is described as becoming unaffordable.

USA Today - DeDivitis lives in Rainbow Lake, New York.

USA Today - Malkin resides in Monterey, California.

USA Today - Rosado lives in Saginaw, Michigan.

USA Today - Mehrkens lives in Culver City, California.

USA Today - Kilroy lives in Mesa, Arizona.

WHEN:

USA Today - The inflation crisis began under President Joe Biden during the waning months of the COVID-19 pandemic.

USA Today - DeDivitis mentioned that car repair prices have increased over the past year.

USA Today - Malkin lost her job two years ago.

USA Today - The average costs for ACA enrollees increased in 2026.

WHY:

Alternet - Many Americans believe the American Dream is on life support due to rising costs.

USA Today - The inflation crisis is fed by President Trump's campaign of import tariffs and a lengthening war against Iran.

HOW:

USA Today - Consumers are coping with rising prices by dipping into savings, pulling from retirement accounts, and cooking more at home.

(UPDATED July 21, 2026 12:25 UTC)

President Trump has won the 2024 U.S. presidential election, but economists are warning that inflation has worsened during his second term, with consumer prices rising more than 25% over the past five years. Many Americans are feeling the pinch, as the cost of living has skyrocketed, with a typical urban family spending up to 60% of their income on rent, and the average two-bedroom apartment in San Francisco costing $5,200 per month. To cope with these rising prices, consumers are increasingly dipping into savings and retirement accounts, highlighting the struggles many face in what is being described as an unaffordable United States.