If you're going to criticize President Joe Biden, you better have the facts right or you'll become a laughingstock online.
Republican Representative from Ohio, Jim Jordan tried to complain about the higher gas prices now compared to last summer, but got quickly shot down by White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki.
Jordan kicked things off by pointing out that the average gas price in the country is over $3 per gallon.
Average gas price:\n\nJune 2020: $2.21\nJune 2021: $3.07\n\nPresident Biden\u2019s economy!— Rep. Jim Jordan (@Rep. Jim Jordan) 1624281940
He ended the comparison by saying:
"President Biden's economy!"
However, Jen Psaki pointed out that statistic is a cherry-picked snapshot.
You forgot to mention that gas prices are the same now as they were in June 2018. Or that this time last year unemployment was 11.1% -- today it\u2019s 5.8%.\n\n@POTUS agrees families shouldn\u2019t pay more at the pump \u2013 that\u2019s why he\u2019s opposed to GOP proposals to raise the gas tax.https://twitter.com/Jim_Jordan/status/1406966549714440196\u00a0\u2026— Jen Psaki (@Jen Psaki) 1624293923
Jordan failed to mention that at the time in June 2020, there were extenuating circumstances for why gas prices were so low. Namely, a global pandemic with poor response from the government at that time.
If you compare gas prices this year to 2018, they're pretty similar, suggesting a market correction. But if Rep. Jordan really wants to talk about the state of the economy this year versus last year, he'll have to accept the 11% unemployment rate versus the under 6% rate of today.
This isn't even getting into the fact that President Biden hasn't passed any policy that would raise the price of gas.
Basically, Jordan's tweet is wrong no matter how you look at it.
Jim Jordan would like to remind you that gas prices were low last year when his party\u2019s president allowed a deadly virus to destroy the economy and kill 400,000 Americans.— Brian Tyler Cohen (@Brian Tyler Cohen) 1624301213
They keep forgetting to do their homework \n\n(Jim doesn't use his glasses for actual reading; he thinks they enhance his "angry inquisition" look)\n\nJune 2020: Gas prices fell due to COVID-19\nJune 2021: Gas prices rose due to the economy re-opening quickly and the stimulus checkpic.twitter.com/MTTrvqLo4C— BebopSpaceCowgirl \ud83c\udf08\ud83d\udc96\ud83d\udc9a\u2764\ufe0f\ud83d\udc99\ud83d\udc9c (@BebopSpaceCowgirl \ud83c\udf08\ud83d\udc96\ud83d\udc9a\u2764\ufe0f\ud83d\udc99\ud83d\udc9c) 1624305944
Looks like Jim Jordan would rather we in America have the economy of June 2020 instead of the one we have in June 2021. Nobody should ever vote for a person who wants that.— BarrDeceivedForTrump (@BarrDeceivedForTrump) 1624295005
Attention Gym Jordan's voters: He's not actually this stupid, but he's 100% sure you are.\n\nAnd as long as you keep voting for him, you're proving him right.— Patrick S. Tomlinson (@Patrick S. Tomlinson) 1624294750
Could there have been some reason why the gas prices were so low in June of 2020? \n\nMaybe the country was in a weak condition because someone mismanaged a global pandemic, causing lowered demand. Just spitballing here.— \u211c\ud835\udd2c\ud835\udd2c\ud835\udd31\ud835\udd36 \ud835\udd17\ud835\udd32\ud835\udd22\ud835\udd30\ud835\udd21\ud835\udd1e\ud835\udd36 \ud83c\udf0e\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8\ud83c\uddf0\ud83c\uddf7\ud83d\ude37\ud83d\udc89\ud83c\udfbe \uc6c0\ucf1c\uc7a1\ub294 \ubfcc\ub9ac (@\u211c\ud835\udd2c\ud835\udd2c\ud835\udd31\ud835\udd36 \ud835\udd17\ud835\udd32\ud835\udd22\ud835\udd30\ud835\udd21\ud835\udd1e\ud835\udd36 \ud83c\udf0e\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8\ud83c\uddf0\ud83c\uddf7\ud83d\ude37\ud83d\udc89\ud83c\udfbe \uc6c0\ucf1c\uc7a1\ub294 \ubfcc\ub9ac) 1624294541
This tweet by Jordan isn't surprising. It's the M-O of the Republican party to tie as many negative things as they can to the Democrats even if they have no control over it.
During the 2012 election, Republicans tried to tie President Obama to the rising cost of gas, despite prices rising all over the world from the recovery from the 2008 financial crisis. Similarly, they've tried to pin our current inflation on overspending by the Biden administration.
In another tweet, Jordan says:
"Steel prices are up. Lumber prices are up. Construction costs are up. And President Biden thinks we can afford an infrastructure bill?"
What Jordan failed to mention was that the Republican answer to the massive infrastructure bill proposed by President Biden is... wait for it...
A gas tax.
So Republicans are pushing for a tax increase (to gas tax) and the Democrats are resisting.\nI think we are living in Bizarro World.https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-government-and-politics-628666300e1ed0c9ad11c6eb8c608c4f\u00a0\u2026— Office of Pilot Punditry (@Office of Pilot Punditry) 1624319773
Making the Wealthiest pay for anything is a Republican sin.https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-government-and-politics-628666300e1ed0c9ad11c6eb8c608c4f\u00a0\u2026— Adam B. Bear (@Adam B. Bear) 1624072561
The Republican Party continues to blame rising gas prices on The President rather than increased need, but at the same time they proposed a gas tax to pay for infrastructure. \n\nSo they can continue to blame Biden. Haha!! Oy— Maized&Confused (@Maized&Confused) 1624288643
