Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. defended President Donald Trump's claims of drug price reductions exceeding 100%, using incorrect mathematical reasoning during a Senate hearing and later at an Oval Office event, according to reports from PBS, HuffPost, and Fox News.
Key Takeaways
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. defended President Trump's mathematically impossible claims of drug price reductions exceeding 100%, using incorrect calculations during a Senate hearing and later at an Oval Office event.
- RFK Jr claimed there are two ways to calculate percentage decreases, asserting a $600-to-$10 reduction is a 600% decrease
- Mathematically correct calculation shows this would be a 98.3% decrease, not 600%
- Trump has repeatedly made similar impossible claims about drug price reductions up to 1,000%
- Experts confirm percentage decreases cannot exceed 100% while maintaining positive consumer cost
- HHS did not respond to requests for comment on the disputed calculations
The controversy began when Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) questioned Kennedy about discounts available on the federally run TrumpRx website during an April 22 Senate Finance Committee hearing. She expressed doubt about Trump's past statements claiming price reductions up to 600%. Kennedy responded by asserting there are two ways to calculate percentage decreases, stating that reducing a $600 drug to $10 represents a 600% reduction.
Mathematicians confirm this calculation is incorrect. The proper method shows a price reduction from $600 to $10 would represent a 98.3% decrease, not the claimed 600%. Experts explained that percentage decreases cannot exceed 100% while maintaining positive consumer cost. A 100% reduction would make medications free, and anything higher would require pharmaceutical companies to pay consumers.
Trump has made similar mathematically impossible claims about drug price reductions in the past, citing decreases as high as 1,000%. The White House did not explain or justify these claims when previously fact-checked by The Associated Press. Kennedy reiterated his statement during an Oval Office event the following day, characterizing Trump's approach as a 'mathematical device' to illustrate the magnitude of price gouging.
The Department of Health and Human Services did not respond to inquiries for comment on these disputed calculations. Meanwhile, Fox News reported that Kennedy faced criticism from The View co-hosts over his leadership and policy decisions during contentious Senate hearings.
How this summary was created
This summary synthesizes reporting from 4 independent publishers using AI. All sources are cited and linked below. NewsBalance is a news aggregator and media literacy tool, not a news publisher. AI-generated content may contain errors or inaccuracies — always verify important information with the original sources.