Democrats Downplay Concerns Over Inflation, Shortages

Prominent Democrats are downplaying working families’ concerns about inflation and supply shortages, which are eating away at paychecks and threatening to leave Christmas shoppers facing empty shelves. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg even went on to claim that supply chain issues were actually a good thing, and a sign that the Biden-Harris administration “successfully guided the economy.”

Dem talking points:

“The supply chain is broken down, goods can’t get in & inflation is skyrocketing…because things are so damn good. And this will continue. By winter, things will be so good…there will be no Christmas presents whatsoever!”

CNN: “Mmm, yes that makes sense….” https://t.co/WuzlBE8JG3

— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) October 18, 2021

Buttigieg’s claim followed outrage over Biden’s Chief of Staff Ron Klain posting that inflation is “a high class problem.”

New York Post: White House chief of staff Ronald Klain is facing fire for retweeting a post that described a nationwide supply-chain crunch and rising inflation as “high class problems.” Klain quote-tweeted a post Wednesday from Harvard economist Jason Furman and approvingly wrote “This” with two emoji hands pointing at the original tweet. . .

“Inflation is NOT a ‘high class problem.’ Inflation is a tax on working Americans & those on fixed incomes,” Rep. Ted Budd (R-NC) tweeted. “The Biden/Harris White House is completely out of touch.” The House Republican Policy Committee called Klain’s tweet “outrageous.” 

Despite claims by Biden-Harris administration officials, new polling shows Americans are deeply concerned about inflation and shortages. Vast majorities say they worry about inflation (87%), have noticed products out-of-stock (71%) and that rising gasoline prices are bad for the country (94%).

Fox News: All that goes a long way toward explaining the sharp decline in Biden’s ratings on the economy. Last month, he was in positive territory by 1 point (50 percent approve, 49 percent disapprove). This month, it’s negative by 20 (39-59 percent). That 21-point shift comes from an 11-point drop in approval among Democrats and a 15-point decline among independents. An overwhelming majority of Republicans disapproved already.

Bottom Line: The Biden-Harris administration is out of touch with Americans’ priorities. Worse, Democrats’ reckless tax-and-spending spree will exacerbate these issues, sending inflation even higher and jeopardizing working families’ financial security.