“Wow!”: Fox News Host Lists Reasons Why Raising Kids Costs a Fortune
Child-free living is gaining appeal.
On a recent episode of “Fox & Friends,” co-host Ainsley Earhardt addressed the staggering rise in the costs associated with raising children.
According to a new report from LendingTree, the average expense of raising a child in the U.S. over 18 years has skyrocketed to $303,418. Earhardt, a mother herself, expressed her understanding of this financial burden.
“Wow, everything is so costly,” she remarked, elaborating on the often-ignored factors that contribute to the financial strain of parenthood. “When you have a child, you stop buying for yourself. Everything shifts to that child. You think about them all the time. It varies—public school or private school? Are you saving for college? Then there are clothes, school supplies, backpacks. It all adds up. And sports? Those costs are significant too, with uniforms and everything else.”
“Exactly, and that’s just the bare minimum,” her co-host Brian Kilmeade noted, emphasizing the shocking figure.
The conversation then shifted to President Donald Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill.” Instead of examining how elements of this legislation—such as Medicaid cuts and tax breaks for the wealthy—have likely exacerbated these costs, the Fox News segment took a more favorable approach.
“The most exciting part is the Trump Accounts, providing $1,000 for every newborn,” Kilmeade stated, referencing a provision in the multi-trillion-dollar bill that allocates a savings account for infants born within a specific timeframe.
“When attending a 2-year-old’s birthday party, what do you bring? Now it’s ‘Here’s a bond’ or ‘Here’s a deposit for the Trump Account.’”
However, critics have labeled Trump Accounts as a mere branding tactic designed to make the more controversial aspects of the president’s bill seem more palatable.
“That’s precisely what it is—branding,” Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.), who sponsors a more ambitious baby bonds bill, remarked in an August 2025 interview. “The big ugly bill is widely unpopular. They’re searching for a few elements they can rebrand to make it more appealing.”
