RFK Jr.’s Claim About ‘Multiple Ways’ to Calculate Percentage Decreases Doesn’t Add Up - GoGoSpoiler

RFK Jr.’s Claim About ‘Multiple Ways’ to Calculate Percentage Decreases Doesn’t Add Up

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The Claim

During a Senate hearing, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. defended claims about massive prescription drug price reductions by stating:

“There’s more than one way to calculate percentage decreases.”

He used an example suggesting that reducing a drug price from $600 to $10 represents a 600% decrease.

What the Evidence Shows

This claim is mathematically incorrect.

1. There Is Only One Standard Way to Calculate Percentage Decrease

The universally accepted formula is:Percentage decrease=original price−new priceoriginal price×100\text{Percentage decrease} = \frac{\text{original price} – \text{new price}}{\text{original price}} \times 100Percentage decrease=original priceoriginal price−new price​×100

Applying this to Kennedy’s example:

  • Original price = $600
  • New price = $10
  • Decrease = $590

590÷600=0.983=98.3%590 ÷ 600 = 0.983 = 98.3\%590÷600=0.983=98.3%

👉 The actual decrease is 98.3% — not 600%

2. Why a 600% Decrease Is Impossible

Mathematically:

  • A 100% decrease means the price drops to zero
  • Anything beyond 100% would mean:
    • The seller is paying the buyer

Experts confirm:

A decrease greater than 100% is not possible unless the price becomes negative

3. Where the Confusion Comes From

RFK Jr. attempted to justify the claim by reversing logic:

  • He argued that if a price rises from $100 to $600 (a 500–600% increase),
  • Then dropping it back should equal a similar percentage decrease

This reasoning is flawed because:

  • Percentage increases and decreases are not symmetrical
  • They are always calculated relative to the starting value, not the peak value

Example:

  • $100 → $600 = +500% increase
  • $600 → $100 = 83.3% decrease, not 500%

4. Broader Context: Trump’s Drug Price Claims

The discussion stems from repeated statements by Donald Trump claiming drug prices were reduced by:

  • 500%
  • 600%
  • Even higher

These figures have been widely challenged because:

  • They exceed mathematical limits
  • They rely on incorrect interpretations of percentage change

Final Verdict: Pants on Fire 🔥

The statement by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is:

Pants on Fire

  • ❌ There are not multiple valid ways to calculate percentage decrease
  • ❌ The example provided is mathematically incorrect
  • ❌ The claim contradicts basic arithmetic principles

Conclusion

This fact-check highlights a fundamental issue: basic math rules are not flexible.

While political messaging may attempt to reframe numbers, percentage change follows a fixed formula. Misrepresenting it can significantly distort reality—especially in policy discussions involving healthcare costs.

In this case, the numbers are clear:

  • The claimed “600% decrease” is not just exaggerated
  • It is mathematically impossible

References

AP News coverage of drug price claims:
https://apnews.com/article/1c89714a4b60ead1485d1de31b27da92

PolitiFact Fact Check:
https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2026/apr/23/robert-f-kennedy-jr/percentage-decreases-drug-prices-trump-math/

PBS NewsHour (PolitiFact republished):
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/fact-checking-rfk-jr-s-claim-theres-more-than-one-way-to-calculate-a-percentage-decrease

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