Full Breakdown
Kennedy Defends Trump’s “600%” Drug-Price Claim; Fact-Checkers Say It’s Miscalculation
4/25/2026, 6:42:36 AM
The Contested Claim at the Senate Finance Hearing
On April 22 2026, during a Senate Finance Committee hearing on the TrumpRx drug-discount program, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. responded to Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) by stating, “If you have a $600 drug and reduce it to $10, that’s a 600 % reduction.” Kennedy framed the figure as “the way President Donald Trump calculates percentages.” The next day, standing behind President Trump at a White House health-affordability event, Kennedy reiterated the claim and offered additional calculations that also conflicted with standard percentage rules.
Background: TrumpRx and the Push for Lower Drug Prices
TrumpRx is the administration’s initiative presented as a means to make prescription medicines more affordable. Critics have questioned how the program’s advertised savings compare to existing generic-drug prices, prompting Warren’s line of questioning about the program’s methodology.
Key Figures and Their Roles
- Robert F. Kennedy Jr. – Secretary of Health and Human Services, defending Trump’s statements.
- Donald Trump – Former president, whose “different way of calculating” percentages was cited.
- Elizabeth Warren – Senate Finance Committee member, raised the math challenge.
- Snopes – Independent fact-checking organization that evaluated the calculations.
Numbers at Issue
- Claimed reduction: $600 -> $10 = 600 % reduction (Kennedy’s statement).
- Correct reduction: (600 – 10) ÷ 600 × 100 ? 98.33 % reduction.
- Kennedy’s second example: $100 -> $600 described as a 600 % rise (actual rise is 500 %).
- Kennedy’s third example: $600 -> $100 described as a 600 % “savings expense” (actual decrease is 83.33 %).
Official Statements & Responses
Kennedy repeatedly asserted that President Trump employs an alternative percentage method, first during the hearing and later at the White House event, describing the 600 % figure as illustrative of “the magnitude of the theft” against the country. The White House and HHS were contacted for comment; no public correction has been issued as of this writing.
Criticism, Fact-Checking and Public Reaction
Snopes labeled Kennedy’s calculations “incorrect,” explaining that a reduction cannot exceed 100 % without producing a negative price. The fact-check highlighted the mathematical error and provided the proper formula. Online commentary ranged from humor (“First we had ‘alternative facts’”) to concern that “even percentages are a contentious political issue.” Some observers suggested Kennedy was defending Trump’s rhetorical style rather than presenting accurate data.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
All sources agree on the inaccuracy of the 600 % claim; no alternative figures were presented. The primary gap is the absence of an official response from the White House or HHS to correct the public record.
Verbatim Quotes
- “If you have a $600 drug and reduce it to $10, that's a 600% reduction.” — Robert F. Kennedy Jr., HHS Secretary
- “RFK Jr: "President Trump has a different way of calculating percentages.” — Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
- “Well if the drug was $100 and it raised the price to $600 that would be a 600% rise. If it drops from $600 to $100, that's a 600% savings expense.” — Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
- “First we had ‘alternative facts’.” — Social-media user
- “We are at a point where even percentages are a contentious political issue,” — Social-media user
What’s Next
The administration continues to promote TrumpRx, while lawmakers and fact-checkers are expected to scrutinize future claims about drug-price reductions and the mathematical basis for advertised savings.
