The Biden administration's economic policies, collectively referred to as "Bidenomics," have been a subject of intense debate on social media, particularly on the White House's Instagram account.
The administration's posts, which highlight the purported successes of these policies, have been met with a wave of criticism from disgruntled Americans.
Throughout November, the White House's Instagram posts on the economy have been dominated by negative comments. On November 25, a post celebrating "the hardworking Americans who run our small businesses and keep our economy moving" was met with a barrage of criticism.
The post, which received 7,588 likes and 5,616 comments, was criticized by small business owners who disagreed with the administration's portrayal of the economic situation.
One user, @streettrendz_metal_art, a handmade sculpture business based in Stoughton, Massachusetts, commented, "BS. Im a small business. This has been our worst year since weve started. No one can afford anything anymore." Another user, Shawn Risinger, suggested that the White House should visit his small business to understand the reality on the ground.
Mike Faulkender, Chief Economist at the American First Policy Institute, attributed the backlash to Biden's regulatory policies. He told the Daily Caller, "Bidens regulatory onslaught has very much given an advantage to large firms over small businesses... Thats what regulation does."
Another post from November 3, which praised Biden's job creation record and claimed that "Bidenomics is growing the economy from the middle out and bottom up not the top down," also received a significant number of negative responses. The post garnered 24.6 thousand likes and 11.7 thousand comments, with negative responses appearing to greatly outnumber positive ones.
One user, @iamdonnamasterson, commented, "This is an OUTRIGHT LIEutter BS propaganda. Biden-Harris-Obama is the worst administration in US history." Another user, @djschofield, sarcastically remarked, "If I had a dollar for every time I saw this stupid post this inflation would be irrelevant to me."
Faulkender welcomed the attention brought to Bidenomics by the White House, stating, "I dont know that we could have marketed any better the disconnect of this administration by trying to convince the American people that the lives that theyre 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."
The White House's Instagram account also faced criticism after posting a graphic listing the prices of several food items to highlight Thanksgiving savings. The post, which claimed that "costs are down for everything from airline tickets and car rentals to toys and TVs," received 20.1 thousand likes and ten thousand comments, many of which expressed frustration about the cost of Thanksgiving.
This backlash comes amid reports that Biden's inner circle is attempting to revise the administration's "Bidenomics" messaging after data showed that the talking points were not resonating with the American people. Even allies of the president have reportedly advised the administration to stop using the term "Bidenomics," as it may be alienating Americans facing financial struggles.
Polls indicate a disconnect between the administration's messaging and the public's perception of the economy. Seventy-five percent of Americans believe that the economy is in a "fair" or "poor" state, and 61 percent are living paycheck-to-paycheck. A November Gallup poll found that only 32 percent of Americans approve of Biden's handling of the economy.
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