A top administration official has been handed a reality check on live TV after a Fox News host shut down his wildly inaccurate claims about basic grocery prices.
The spectacle unfolded after federal officials announced sweeping changes to the requirements designed to make medical costs clearer for everyday patients.
The administration’s Medicare and Medicaid boss, Dr. Mehmet Oz, appeared on cable news later that evening to promote the policy, using an analogy about medical bills and a routine supermarket trip.
“We should know what things cost, OK?” the host, Laura Ingraham, demanded. “We wanna know what we’re paying. What the h--k is going on, and how can you guys tackle this?”
“Well, at healthcare, we write the prices in invisible ink,” the official replied. “So, you have no idea what things are gonna cost. I brought you something as an example. We went grocery shopping — stick of butter, bag of peanuts. Butter in America, it’s about a buck for a stick like this. If I charge you 10 dollars— ”
“Where are you shopping?” Ingraham interjected instantly, cutting off the metaphor. “It’s not a buck. It’s like four.”
“Well, I just bought this, so it’s close to that,” the official laughed, attempting to play off the glaring blunder. “Maybe I got it—maybe it’s going bad.”
“OK,” the host scoffed. “A Mamdani store you bought it at.”
The sharp jab referenced New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who has pushed plans to establish five city-owned grocery locations offering staples at a 30 percent discount.
“Exactly,” Oz agreed. “So, you buy the stick of butter, and you buy it for the right price. In healthcare, we’re not doing this. This stick of butter could cost anything. You have no idea until after you’ve already made the purchase.”
Mediaite reported that the product on set was a brand sold at Trader Joe’s, where the current retail listing is $4.99.
President Donald Trump, meanwhile, has spent months falsely claiming that the nation is undergoing massive deflation, telling reporters that “the prices for groceries have come way down from Biden” and insisting that “with the exception of oil, everything is going down.”
Grocery costs have climbed 3.4 percent on average since January 2025, according to official Consumer Price Index data. While egg prices dropped 31.1 percent after earlier bird flu spikes, basics like coffee have surged 21.8 percent, and beef products jumped 16.5 percent.
The Daily Beast has contacted Dr. Oz’s office for comment.
