Biden's Chief of Staff Ron Klain promotes tweet calling inflation and the supply chain chaos 'high class problems': GOP tears into 'clueless' and 'tone-deaf' White House for response to growing crises
Ronald Klain claimed Wednesday evening that the current U.S. economic issues, including inflation and supply chain delays, are just 'high class problems'.
Jason Furman, a Harvard Economics professor and former chairman of President Barack Obama's Council of Economic Advisers, tweeted: 'Most of the economic problems we're facing (inflation, supply chains, etc.) are high class problems.'
'We wouldn't have had them if the unemployment rate was still 10 percent,' he added of earlier rates. 'We would instead have had a much worse problem.'
Klain, President Joe Biden's chief of staff, retweeted the post along with, 'This' and two emoji fingers pointing down to the tweet – indicating his agreement.
'As long as we're on the subject of class, it appears Mr Klain and the entire Biden White House missed Economics 101,' Republican Georgia Representative Buddy Carter told DailyMail.com on Thursday.
'Inflation hurts working families and seniors on fixed incomes the most while their runaway spending is leaving all our children and grandchildren under a crushing mountain of debt to China,' he continued.
GOP Representative Byron Donalds of Florida told Daily Mail that the comments from Klain are indicative of the 'tone-deafness' of the Biden administration.
'The cluelessness embroiling the White House stems from the top down, and that is evident with the tone-deaf statements coming from the Press Secretary and Chief of Staff,' he said.
'While they ignore the reality of Biden's failed economic agenda, everyday Americans feel the pain of Bidenomics at the pump, grocery store, and just about every aspect of daily life,' the congressman continued. 'The American people are not better off today than before Biden got into office, and skyrocketing inflation is one of the many reasons this is the case.'
Klain also retweeted a post Wednesday from Democratic Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy, who wrote: 'In an economy that gives power to workers, not just employers, people quit their jobs all the time to start better jobs. Economic mobility is a good thing. Not a bad thing.'
Prices are surging in the U.S., in one part due to ships being stranded at ports as they wait for trucks to take the shipping containers, which is leading to shortages and delays and further exacerbating rising inflation.
He was responding to a tweet from Obama's former chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers who said problems would be 'much worse' if the unemployment rate was still 10%
Klain also retweeted a post from Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy on claiming people are quitting their jobs to start better jobs as minimum wage jobs see a shortage of workers
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki confusingly said during her briefing on Wednesday that inflation has actually decreased by 50 per cent in recent months, despite all numbers pointing to the contrary.
'We've seen a decrease over the course of time,' Psaki told reporters. 'Over the second and third quarter of this year, monthly inflation increases have actually decelerated.'
Compared to September 2020, consumer prices have risen 5.4 per cent, according to Labor Department data released on Wednesday.
This indicates a 13-year high in inflation.
In response, the Social Security Administration announced Wednesday that it is rolling out its largest cost of living increase in nearly 40 years.
Biden also announced Wednesday a deal that will expand operations at the Port of Los Angeles as the shipping container traffic jam threatens the economy and holiday shopping. There have been a slew of warnings that there will be a shortage of goods around the holiday season this year.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki confusingly said Wednesday inflation has fallen by 50% in recent months, despite Labor Department numbers showing compared to September 2020, consumer prices have risen 5.4 per cent
The consumer price index rose 5.4 percent in September from a year ago, up slightly from August's gain of 5.3 percent and matching the increases in June and July
Prices are up on a wide range of key goods as high inflation continues to hit US consumers
Social media erupted in criticism over Klain's tweet Wednesday, claiming Biden's top aide was downplaying hardships Americans are experiencing as inflation rises and unemployment remains high – at 4.8 per cent, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) revealed in its job report on Friday.
'Struggling to pay for food, fuel, and housing because of rising prices is not a 'high class problem,' tweeted Tommy Pigott, the rapid response director for the Republican National Committee. 'Biden is making everyone worse off, but instead of stopping the damage, their strategy is to try to gaslight Americans.'
Republican lawmakers also weren't happy.
'Inflation hurts every family in America,' Republican Representative Lisa McClain of Michigan told DailyMail.com.
'Ron Klain's comments show how truly out of touch he and the Biden administration are with the American people,' she added.
Ohio Republican Rep. Mike Turner tweeted.'Since when did paying more for gas, electricity, eggs, and meat only affect the 'high class'? The Biden Administration is completely out of touch with the American people'
'Since when did paying more for gas, electricity, eggs, and meat only affect the 'high class'?' Ohio Representative Mike Turner tweeted.
'The Biden Administration is completely out of touch with the American people,' he added.
Republican Kansas Senator Roger Marshall told Daily Mail: 'Make no mistake, the steep inflation harming the bank accounts of all Americans rests squarely on the shoulders of the socialist economic policies coming out of the White House.'
'Over the past year, the prices for gas at the pump, groceries, and other household items have been steadily on the rise,' he added. 'Whether the Biden Administration acknowledges the truth or not, inflation is a hidden tax that hurts everyone – but none more than our seniors and young hard working families living paycheck to paycheck.'
When the pandemic first struck the nation in early 2020, the unemployment rate reached a frighteningly high rate of 14.7 per cent. The latest numbers are the lowest since then.
The BLS also released in the report that the U.S. added only 194,000 jobs in September.
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