85% Off! Trump’s Drug Price Lie Is Loud, Empty—and Dangerous
Trump shouted his way through the Capitol, promising 85% off your meds. But the fine print? No details, no plan, and no pharmacy savings in sight.
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Donald Trump marched up to Capitol Hill this week to pitch his so-called “Big Beautiful Bill”—what I call the Big Ugly Bill—to a room full of uneasy Republicans. With Mike “Bubblehead” Johnson nodding beside him, Trump turned the hallways of Congress into a screech chamber, repeating over and over:
“We’re lowering your drug prices by 85%! Eighty-five percent! You could win an election on that!”
He shouted it. He whispered it. He smiled it like a discount mall Santa. But as usual, there was no explanation, no plan, and no accountability.
Let’s walk through the reality behind the propaganda—and why this isn’t a win for American patients. It’s a bait-and-switch that weaponizes hope.
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What is Trump actually referring to?
Trump’s 85% claim comes from a revived version of a 2020 executive order he issued during his first term—called the “Most Favored Nation” (MFN) model. That order aimed to tie the prices of certain drugs in the U.S. to the prices paid in other wealthy countries.
The logic?
“If Germany pays $100 for a drug, the U.S. shouldn’t pay $400 for the same one.”
Sounds fair, right?
It was blocked in court almost immediately.
Now, in May 2025, Trump signed Executive Order 14297, attempting to bring the MFN model back from the dead. It directs the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to set target prices for some drugs based on prices in certain OECD countries—wealthy, developed nations like Germany, Japan, Canada, and the U.K.
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What is the OECD?
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is a group of 38 advanced economies. Trump’s executive order narrows it further, targeting only those with a GDP per capita of at least 60% of the U.S.
Translation:
He wants U.S. prices to match what similarly wealthy countries pay for select medications.
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Which drugs are covered?
That’s the catch: we don’t know.
The order does not name specific drugs, but based on history and precedent, it likely applies to Medicare Part B drugs—the ones administered in hospitals and clinics, such as:
• Chemotherapy infusions
• Rheumatoid arthritis biologics
• Autoimmune disorder injectables
These are not the medications you pick up at CVS.
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So what’s not included?
Don’t expect an 85% discount on:
• Insulin
• Cholesterol meds
• Antidepressants
• Blood pressure pills
• ADHD meds or anxiety meds
These common, lifesaving drugs fall under Medicare Part D (outpatient prescription coverage) or private insurance—and are not addressed by this executive order. Any real change to those prices would require Congressional action, which this bill does not include.
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Didn’t Trump already try this?
Yes. In 2020, Trump issued a similar executive order using the MFN model.
What happened?
• It was rushed through without proper public comment.
• Multiple lawsuits were filed by drug companies and health care groups.
• A federal court blocked the policy in 2021.
• The Biden administration later rescinded it entirely.
Now in 2025, Trump is trying again. But nothing about the legal hurdles has changed.
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Can the U.S. really dictate prices to drug companies?
Not exactly.
• The U.S. government can refuse to reimburse prices above a set cap—in programs like Medicare.
• But it cannot force a company to sell a drug at that price.
• If the company refuses, they can just say “no thanks,” and pull the drug from Medicare entirely.
That means patients could lose access to the very drugs this plan claims to “make affordable.”
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How would this affect pharmaceutical companies?
Big Pharma hates the MFN model. If implemented, it could:
• Slash their profits in the U.S.—their largest and most lucrative market.
• Prompt companies to raise prices abroad, defeating the benchmark.
• Lead them to withdraw high-cost drugs from Medicare coverage.
• Fuel lawsuits and lobbying efforts that delay implementation.
In short: it’s a legal quagmire with serious risks to drug access and innovation.
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So why is Trump shouting “85% OFF!” like a carnival barker?
Because he thinks voters won’t check the receipt.
He’s not lowering your insulin price. He’s not slashing the cost of your anxiety meds. He’s recycling an old, blocked executive order that might apply to a narrow group of high-cost hospital-administered drugs—and even that’s far from guaranteed.
Meanwhile, the Big Ugly Bill he’s bullying Congress to pass could:
• Slash Medicaid
• Undermine mental health and disability services
• Increase health care premiums
• Provide massive tax cuts to billionaires
All while gaslighting the public into thinking he’s delivering savings.
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Bottom line:
Trump is promising 85% off the sticker price, but he’s charging your democracy at full price.
His drug pricing “plan” is a mirage—a convenient talking point to distract from the deeper assault on public health and working-class dignity.
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Call to Action:
If you or someone you love relies on prescription drugs—especially daily meds from a pharmacy—don’t fall for this lie.
• Call your Representative and demand they vote NO on Trump’s Big Ugly Bill.
• Ask real questions about what’s included in the plan—and what’s left out.
• And remember: he’s not fighting for you. He’s selling you a slogan.
