President Donald Trump said reductions in prescription drug prices will play a major role in the upcoming midterm elections, calling the cuts a “shock to the system” that will benefit millions of Americans.
Trump announced that Pfizer will allow state Medicaid programs to access medications at most-favored-nation (MFN) prices — the lowest costs available among developed nations.
According to a White House fact sheet, several drugs will see dramatic reductions. Eucrisa, a treatment for dermatitis, will be offered at an 80 percent discount. Xeljanz, a rheumatoid arthritis drug, will be reduced by 40 percent, while Zavzpret, used to treat migraines, will see a 50 percent cut.
Trump said the deal marks the beginning of a broader effort to bring down costs.
“We’re going to have another meeting next week on this,” Trump told reporters. “We have another great company coming in, similar kind of numbers, but we’re going to show you some 1,000 percent drops in prices. There has never been anything like this in the history of medicine.”
When asked by Breitbart News how significant the reductions could be in shaping the midterm elections, Trump did not hesitate.
“Huge,” he said. “I’ve wanted to do it from the beginning, from my first day and first term, and we were doing so well. We had the greatest economy we’ve ever had. Everything was good, and then we’re ready to do this, which is complex and big. It’s a big change. But what happened is COVID came, and we focused on COVID.”
Trump pointed to his administration’s pandemic response — particularly work with Bourla and other pharmaceutical executives — as evidence of his ability to deliver breakthroughs under pressure.
“We focused on COVID very hard with Albert, with the other companies, with everybody,” Trump said. “Regeneron was a great thing. We did a lot of therapeutics that were fantastic, and so we focused on that.”
The president said lowering prescription costs was one of his top priorities upon returning to the White House and that his administration has been working on the issue for the past eight months.
“This is a very big deal,” Trump said. “This is a big shock to the system. The world is going to go up a little bit. We’re going to come down a lot. But now it’s fair. We’re going to be paying the same thing.”
The announcement marks one of the most aggressive steps yet in Trump’s effort to reshape drug pricing, long a top concern among voters. The MFN policy ties U.S. prices to the lowest charged in other countries, a move intended to end what Trump has frequently called the “global freeloading” of America subsidizing higher costs.
Health officials at the event praised the deal as a game-changer. Analysts note that pharmaceutical companies have historically resisted such pricing models, arguing they could stifle research and development. But Trump insisted that innovation and affordability can coexist.
“Companies are going to continue to make plenty of money,” Trump said. “But Americans are not going to be ripped off anymore. Those days are over.”
With the midterms approaching, Trump said voters will feel the impact of these changes directly in their wallets — and at the ballot box.
“This is not just policy,” he said. “This is people’s lives. This is fairness. And it’s happening right now.”
This comes as President Donald Trump’s approval rating has gone up.
The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll found Friday that 53 percent of likely U.S. voters approved of Trump’s performance.
The pollster noted Trump’s current numbers mark a stunning double-digit shift in a matter of a few days.
Nearly 48 percent approved of Trump’s performance, while 51 percent disapproved.
That shift means Trump’s net approval rating moved up 10 points in just a few days, from minus three to plus seven.
The polling boost coincided with Trump’s high-profile visit to South Korea.
