Biden Shifts Messaging Following 40-Year Record High Inflation

February 18, 2022

President Biden has changed his messaging to now relating with average Americans struggling during this 40-year high record inflation. This differs from his previous sentiments denying the rising prices, but the president can no longer ignore the economic crisis we are in right now.

The Wall Street Journal reports:

In recent weeks, Mr. Biden has made personal appeals in his speeches to families facing higher prices for food, gasoline and cars. Addressing county officials this week he said: “I grew up in a family where the price at the pump was felt in the kitchen. Everybody knew. Everybody felt it. I understand.” In Virginia last week, he said: “I know food prices are up, and we’re working to bring them down.”

That is a change from the way the president addressed inflation earlier in his term. In July, after inflation accelerated at the fastest pace in 13 years, Mr. Biden said price increases “were expected and expected to be temporary.” In September, he said there was “a lot of evidence that gas prices should be going down, but they haven’t,” pledging to work on it. By November, he was acknowledging the impact on families, saying “everything from a gallon of gas to loaf of bread costs more. And it’s worrisome, even though wages are going up.”

We can’t help but speculate on this timely pivot by Biden with midterms coming up and his approval rating low. The American people are facing inflation rates that haven’t been seen in four decades and that’s pain felt every day by every American. Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle weighed in.

“If many Americans won the lottery tomorrow, the first thing they would do is fill up their gas tank,” Sen. John Kennedy (R., La.) said Wednesday. “I’m not sure that President Biden understands that.”

…

Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney (D., N.Y.), who chairs the Democrats’ congressional campaign arm, said on MSNBC on Thursday that Democrats shouldn’t “talk about Nobel laureates because no one cares. Talk about the price of a gallon of milk. Talk about the price of a gallon of gas. What’s a pound of hamburger cost?”

He added: “And if you don’t get the cost of groceries and gas down, yeah, it’s a problem. And there’s no excuse when you’re in power. So we’ve got to do something about that.”

We have warned time and time again of the rising gas prices due to Biden’s poor policies since he stepped into office, and it hasn’t let up. Just this week President Biden warned this week that gas prices could increase even more if Russia invades Ukraine. How much more can Americans’ wallets take?