RFK Jr. Claims Trump Has 'Own Way of Calculating' Percentages to Defend Drug Price Claims

In a Senate Finance Committee session on April 22, 2026, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. supported President Donald Trump's assertion of a 600% reduction in drug prices, claiming Trump employs a unique approach to percentage calculations. Kennedy maintained that lowering a $600 medication to $10 represents a 600% decrease, despite the actual reduction being 98.3%. Senator Elizabeth Warren pointed out that TrumpRx frequently prices drugs above market rates, illustrating with a heartburn treatment priced at $200 compared to a $16 generic at Costco, and a heart arrhythmia medication at $336 versus a $12 generic. She remarked that pharmaceutical companies gain tariff relief for listing on TrumpRx without reducing prices. A report from the Center for American Progress revealed that only one of 54 TrumpRx drugs provided real savings. Senator Bernie Sanders mocked Kennedy's assertion that Americans enjoy the lowest drug costs worldwide. Mathematician Kit Yates from the University of Bath condemned the altered definition of percentage calculations. According to Reuters, over 350 branded drugs are expected to see price increases in 2026.