President Joe Biden continues struggling with messaging to Americans about what his administration is doing to make things better for the difficult 2021 holiday season.
The White House released a video on Tuesday evening of Biden trying to reassure Americans things were going to be fine, despite looming reports of shortages, and stubbornly high costs for ordinary goods.
“I know a lot of Americans are worried whether or not there’s going to be enough stock on the shelves for Thanksgiving and Christmas,” Biden says in the video, as a reassuring soft piano soundtrack plays in the background.
Biden is struggling to address immediate economic issues as consumers face a 41 percent higher cost for their Thanksgiving turkeys, a 10.5 percent higher cost for food, 20 percent higher shipping costs, and gas prices up nearly 90 percent.
Prices for American consumers jumped 6.2% in October compared with a year ago, the highest inflation since the 1990s.
In the video, the president falsely claims “there was a short supply last year” because of the coronavirus pandemic and that things are getting better this year.
Biden reveals in the video he spoke on the phone with Walmart President and CEO Doug McMillon, UPS CEO Carol B. Tomé, FedEx Chairman and CEO Frederick W. Smith, and Target Board Chairman and CEO Brian Cornell.
“They all told me that things are really moving along,” Biden says reassuringly.
“All the folks I spoke with, not just the East Coast, but the West Coast, they just all are confident that things are going to be different at Thanksgiving and a much different Christmas this year,” Biden continues.
The video featured an obvious cut in the middle of Biden’s comment, suggesting his reassuring statement had to be edited by staff to get it right.
He tried to explain his $1.3 trillion infrastructure bill would eventually get the country “back to normal” and that Americans would be able to get to the store and get the products they needed for Christmas.
“The expectation is it’s not going to be this time last year, you’re going to be able to get to the store, get to your place – get to the outlets you’re looking for, get the products you need, you gifts that you want, that’s what we’re working on,” he says.
Biden admitted Tuesday during a virtual DNC fundraiser that many Americans were not experiencing any immediate relief from high costs.
“Now, I know a lot of folks don’t feel that progress out there, that we’re making in the economy. I get it,” he said. “I know the cost of gasoline and groceries and rent seems to be harder and harder to handle that.”
But the president offered no other solutions than his multi-trillion Build Back Better bill that remains stalled in the House of Representatives.
“[T]hat’s all the more reason why we have to pass the Build Back Better plan,” he said.