Egg prices soar in US: Elon Musk says Joe Biden killed 150 million chickens — But there’s more to the story

Elon Musk ignited a fresh controversy on Thursday, claiming on X that President Joe Biden’s administration ordered an “insane slaughter of 150 million egg-laying chickens,” leading to higher egg prices. However, the mass culling of infected birds has been a long-standing USDA policy—one that was also followed under former President Donald Trump.
Musk’s comments were in response to a viral post blaming Biden for rising egg prices. “It’s true,” Musk wrote. “There was an insane slaughter of 150 million egg-laying chickens ordered by the Biden administration.”

What’s really happening?

The truth is that the USDA’s stamping-out policy requires that birds infected with highly pathogenic avian flu, or exposed to it, be depopulated to prevent further spread. Since the outbreak began in February 2022, an estimated 166 million birds have been culled, reported Forbes.
While the bulk of the culling happened under Biden, the policy remains unchanged under Trump, with at least 13 million birds culled since February. The USDA has long maintained that there is no treatment for bird flu and that mass culling is the only way to contain outbreaks.
Is Trump changing the policy?
Despite his administration criticizing Biden for mass cullings, Trump has not altered the policy. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins recently announced a $1 billion investment to help poultry farmers combat the crisis—but there is no official plan to stop culling infected flocks.
USDA officials have stated that they are exploring strategies to reduce the need for mass depopulation, but no changes have been made.
Egg prices and political blame game
Egg prices have surged due to the bird flu outbreak, with January prices up 53% year-over-year, according to the Consumer Price Index. Trump allies, including Musk and Rollins, have used high egg prices as a political weapon against Biden. However, since Trump took office, egg prices have continued to rise, with some grocery stores limiting egg purchases and restaurants like Waffle House and Denny’s adding surcharges to egg-based meals.
While Musk’s claim adds fuel to the debate, the reality is that both administrations have followed the same policy, and egg prices remain a problem under Trump’s watch.