Trump Defends 100%+ Drug Price Cut Claims

In Washington, President Donald Trump defended his claims of slashing prescription drug prices by more than 100 percent during a Thursday Oval Office event announcing a new agreement with Regeneron Pharmaceuticals to reduce costs for its products. The remarks, which highlighted what Trump described as alternative methods of calculation, drew attention for their mathematical inaccuracies amid ongoing efforts to lower healthcare expenses.

Trump acknowledged past statements in which he said his administration's policies had cut consumer costs by 500 or 600 percent. "We also sometimes say 50, 60," he added, referring to figures that could reach 70, 80 or 90 percent. "People understand that better. But they're two ways of calculating, and either way, it doesn't make any difference." The president made the comments while touting the Regeneron deal, which aims to make certain treatments more affordable through negotiated pricing.

Supporting Trump's explanation, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. argued that drug manufacturers had previously raised prices on popular medications by more than 100 percent, allowing subsequent reductions to exceed that threshold. "If...