Outraged Americans are flocking to the White House’s Instagram account to comment on posts touting the administration’s economic record.
President Joe Biden and his administration have continuously touted Biden’s economic policies, which it dubbed “Bidenomics,” citing lower inflation and unemployment rates. But not everyone shares the White House’s optimism. Instagram users dissatisfied with Biden’s handling of the economy have dominated the comments sections of several posts on the topic throughout the month of November.
On Nov. 25, the White House posted a photo to Instagram celebrating “the hardworking Americans who run our small businesses and keep our economy moving.”
“We’re committed to helping them grow and succeed,” the post read.
The social media post received 7,588 likes and 5,616 comments, many of which expressed grievances.
“BS. I’m a small business. This has been our worst year since we’ve started. No one can afford anything anymore,” wrote an account with the handle @streettrendz_metal_art, which linked to a handmade sculpture business based in Stoughton, Massachusetts.
“Can I give the White House my small business address and let them come experience what I am? They would need to rewrite their post,” a user named Shawn Risinger wrote in response to the White House post.
KJP opens today’s briefing by whipping out a literal food menu and claiming that this Thanksgiving is actually one of the cheapest ever pic.twitter.com/j4vUYp2Fk7
— Dylan Housman (@Dylan_Housman) November 20, 2023
Mike Faulkender, American First Policy Institute’s chief economist, attributed the backlash against the “Small Business Saturday” post to Biden’s regulatory policies.
“Biden’s regulatory onslaught has very much given an advantage to large firms over small businesses and so this is why it’s hilarious for him to try to proclaim that small businesses are thriving because they’ve done anything and everything in their power to actually accumulate more market power in the hands of large business,” Faulkender told the Daily Caller. “That’s what regulation does. ”
Another White House Instagram post from Nov. 3 praised Biden’s job creation record, claiming that “Bidenomics is growing the economy from the middle out and bottom up – not the top down.”
The post received 24.6 thousand likes and 11.7 thousand comments. Again, negative responses appeared to greatly outnumber positive ones.
“This is an OUTRIGHT LIE…utter BS propaganda,” user @iamdonnamasterson commented. “Biden-Harris-Obama is the worst administration in US history.”
“If I had a dollar for every time I saw this stupid post this inflation would be irrelevant to me,” @djschofield wrote.
“We’re thrilled that [the White House] is bringing attention to Bidenomics,” Faulkender told the Daily Caller. “I don’t know that we could have marketed any better the disconnect of this administration by trying to convince the American people that the lives that they’re living are not actually the reality but instead believing that they can convince them of this alternative reality that they would like them to believe.”
Standing next to CS Wind employees, US President Joe Biden speaks about Bidenomics at CS Wind on November 29, 2023 in Pueblo, Colorado. CS Wind, the largest wind turbine tower manufacturer in the world, recently announced they were expanding operations as a direct result of the Inflation Reduction Act. (Photo by Michael Ciaglo/Getty Images)
The White House social media account also received a flood of angry comments after posting a graphic listing the prices of several food items to tout Thanksgiving savings.
“Ahead of the holiday season, costs are down for everything from airline tickets and car rentals to toys and TVs,” the Nov. 21 post read. “The Biden-Harris Administration is working every day to create more breathing room for hardworking families.”
The social media post received 20.1 thousand likes and ten thousand comments, many from social media users sharing their frustrations about the Turkey Day’s price tag.
“Source: we literally just made this up,” Instagram user Matthew Porcaro replied.
The backlash from social media comes after reports emerged that Biden’s inner circle has been trying to turn the administration’s “Bidenomics” messaging around after receiving data showing that the talking points weren’t landing with the American people. Even allies of the president have reportedly urged the administration to stop using the term “Bidenomics” because they feel it may be alienating Americans who face financial struggles, according to Politico.
Meanwhile, polls show the American people are feeling the disconnect. Seventy-five percent of Americans say that the economy is in a “fair” or “poor” state, all while 61 percent of Americans are living paycheck-to-paycheck. November polling by Gallup found that just 32 percent of Americans approve of Biden’s handling of the economy. (RELATED: Biden Suggests Americans Unhappy With The Economy Are ‘Disconnected’ From Reality)
“At the end of the day I’m an economist, I’m not a pollster or press guy, but it does seem like they’re very insular, that they live in their bubble and among [them] and their friends here in the D.C. area they’re doing just fine,” Faulkender told the Caller. “But they don’t really have much exposure to everyday people who are struggling to afford to take their kids to their sporting events with gas prices as high as they are right now, to put enough food on the table, to buy Christmas presents for them for this coming holiday season.”
“I think that they have become the party of the college educated elite,” he continued. “They have disconnected from normal everyday, working Americans and therefore aren’t receiving that feedback. And that’s why they’re so disconnected.”