Only I can fix it · Second term · № 54
Nobody had the guts to do most-favored-nation drug pricing 'but I do'
“Most favored is I want to pay what the lowest nation in the world is paying. Everybody knew about it, but nobody had the guts or the stamina to do it or the respect from other nations, but I do.”
- Said
- , House Republican Members Retreat
- Subject
- prescription drug prices
- Topic
- Health care
- Era
- Second term
What happened
A day later he told the New York Times that "for every other president, if they even tried to do it, they could never do it." By August 31, 2026 the administration had voluntary most-favored-nation deals with 26 drugmakers covering 89% of the branded market. Analysts told STAT the deals chiefly apply to Medicaid, which already pays the lowest prices by law, while exempting companies from mandatory Medicare price cuts, and characterized the August announcements as "headline-grabbing midterm messaging"; a September 2026 analysis found the deals' secrecy may undermine the policy.
Sources
- Remarks at the House Republican Members Retreat
- Transcript: President Trump speaks with reporters from the New York Times, 1.07.26
- Trump strikes new drug pricing deals with nine midsized drugmakers
- Analysts call Trump drug price moves headline-grabbing midterm messaging
- Trump's secretive pharma deals may undermine 'most-favored nation' pricing, an analysis suggests