They might not know how to translate a 500% reduction into actual values, but they are well aware that Trump isn't proposing to start paying people to acquire medications. The same is true of Trump.

That's not what they expect, I'm sure. But they also don't realize that is the result of the statement taken at face value.

Remember, most people are not that sophisticated. Especially in red states where they continually try to defund education. A lot of people can't do the math to realize that a BOGO offer is the same as a 50% off offer (if you get two of whatever it is). Grocery stores in particular use that in their pricing schemes precisely because most shoppers aren't sophisticated enough to see that "3 for $10" when one is $3.5 means you're only saving 50 cents (on three...only 16.67 cents on one). People like me who walk down the aisles and do the math in their heads almost automatically are the exception, not the rule.

So when he says "lower drug prices by 500%", most people don't really understand. I suspect many think "oh, so it will be 1/5 what it is now". But I do think most will realize that a $30 bottle of pills dropping to $28 is NOT 500%.