According to new data compiled by a public affairs software company called Quorum, Republicans in Congress have mentioned the word “inflation” at least 8,158 times in press releases, speeches, newsletters, and social media posts this year. In comparison, their Democrat counterparts have only done so 1,321 times. That means Republicans are talking about inflation more than six times as much as Democrats.
Gee, I wonder why?
Biden claimed that inflation had peaked in December, yet we learned earlier this month that inflation in March was 8.4% over the last year, compared to 7.9% for the year ending in February. In historical terms, that would be the highest overall inflation rate since December 1981. And many believe it will get worse before it gets better.
The key contributors to inflation are rising gas prices (Joe Biden’s fault) and the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package passed by Democrats and signed by Joe Biden last year.
When Democrats have spoken about it, it seems that it’s been to claim that inflation was a good thing or that it was transitory, or to blame Vladimir Putin.
Despite the best efforts of the Biden administration and the Democratic Party, no one is buying these claims.
Related: Yes, It’s Biden’s Inflation
“If the Biden Administration truly wants to find the cause of record high inflation all they have to do is look in the mirror,” Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said last week. “These dramatic, record-setting increases in inflation weren’t caused by Vladimir Putin, but by the bad choices of President Biden and the Democrats who control Congress.”
“When they declare war on oil and gas, Americans end up with higher prices at the pump,” Graham continued. “When they spend with no end in sight, they drive up costs for average Americans and allow inflation to take a larger and larger chunk out of Americans’ hard-earned wages. When they adopt a weak foreign policy that invites the bad guys to take action, we get a troubled and dangerous world.”
It’s not just Republicans calling out Biden, either. Even his cheerleaders in the media can’t deny reality. For example, Biden apologist Don Lemon over at CNN dismissed Biden’s efforts to blame Putin for inflation and told his audience last week that “inflation was a major concern way before Putin’s invasion.”
Yet, Axios’s report on the disparity between Republicans and Democrats talking about inflation typically frames it as the cliché “Republicans pounce” narrative.
“Republicans shouting from the rooftops about inflation,” Axios says in their headline.
“Inflation has not only become a major flashpoint in domestic politics but the biggest and most prominent line of attack from Republicans ahead of this fall’s midterms,” the report reads. “They’ve also leaned heavily on the monthly release of the Consumer Price Index to further fuel their inflationary messaging.”
Do they think maybe there’s a reason? Axios may be faulting Republicans for talking about inflation, but recent polling shows that inflation and the high cost of living is the number one issue that concerns Americans today. Republicans are right to talk about it, and Democrats are only conceding blame by trying to sweep it under the rug.
