As we enter a new month, it seems that President Biden might have kicked off April with an unexpected twist. In a recent post on social media, Biden boasted about the state of the economy, leaving many skeptical whether it was an April Fools’ Day prank or not. However, with unemployment figures still high and inflation at all-time highs, some thought the President was playing a cruel joke on hard-working Americans.
It is not uncommon for President Joe Biden to take to Twitter to brag about his accomplishments in the White House – especially those related to the economy. However, things went sideways when he tweeted just such a boast on April 1 – and critics dismissed it as an April Fool’s joke.
As he has done many times, Biden started by stating that the economy was in a mess when he took office. Nevertheless, he failed to mention that pandemic-related restrictions caused many Americans to be out of work and that many small businesses were forced to close.
Biden tweeted: “When I took office, the economy was reeling. Hundreds of thousands of small businesses had closed – and millions of Americans had lost their jobs. We got relief to small businesses fast to jumpstart the strongest recovery of any major economy in the world.”
Several critics quickly argued that Biden’s tweet must have been a joke because it coincided with April Fools Day.
The U.S. Ministry of Truth tweeted in response: “I love a good April Fool’s joke.”
Doug Powers congratulated the presidential Twitter account for posting “the best April Fool joke” of the day.
Several people simply pointed out the errors in Biden’s claims, noting the lack of context – namely the forced lockdowns and closures – and arguing that the economy would have corrected regardless of whether Biden acted.
Carol Roth tweeted: “Small businesses were closed and people lost their jobs by mandate. The small relief program the SBA put forth under your admin was sued for discrimination, and promised funds were pulled from them last minute in a disgraceful maneuver. Otherwise, great tweet.”
Jake Schneider added: “When you took office, inflation was at 1.4% and gas was $2.39/gal. Today, inflation is at 6% and gas is $3.50/gal. Real wages have fallen for 23 straight months. The list goes on and on and on.”
Twitter’s Community Notes also fact-checked the president, noting how important context is.
President Biden’s recent remarks about the nation’s economy have left many scratching their heads. While it is true that the economy has shown some signs of recovery, there is still a long way to go for many Americans who are struggling to make ends meet. From rising gas prices to ongoing pandemic-related shutdowns, the future remains uncertain for many. As such, it is important to approach any political promises with a critical eye and hold our leaders accountable for their actions. In the end, it remains to be seen whether this latest stunt from the Biden administration is simply a joke or a genuinely misguided attempt at misleading the public.
Let’s continue this conversation, in the comments below.
