White House chief economist Kevin Hassett sparked outrage Sunday after he claimed the American economy was thriving, and boasted about his weekly trips to the grocery store to prove it.
Hassett faced unexpected pushback from Fox News' Peter Doocy during an interview about Americans' poor views of the economy, with 62 percent reporting grocery prices to be a "major problem for their family.”
“It's a really strong economy," a smiling Hassett claimed. "I go to the grocery store every weekend and I just noticed the hamburger for my barbecue was down two dollars from a couple of weeks ago."
These comments did not go down well with many American viewers.
"This is offensively ignorant." said former U.S. Public Delegate to the United Nations Andrew Weinstein. "Millions of Americans aren't worried about saving $2 on burgers. They're worried about how to pay for groceries at all. Nearly 40% of Florida families are using Buy Now, Pay Later to put food on the table. Read the room."
"Actually, ground beef is at a record high . . . as is diesel fuel," replied Retired US Department of Labor judge and Air Force colonel Moe Davis. "But the Trump scheme is to lie and repeat it incessantly and for the MAGA cult it becomes truth despite what they see with their own eyes."
Davis's assertion was corroborated by an analysis of USDA Economic Research Service data shared by Zeteo reporter Justin Baragonaa, who replied to Hassett with the comment, "OK then."
Ground beef prices have risen 22 percent in 12 months to $6.92 per pound, beef steak prices rose nearly 18 percent to $12.81 per pound and sirloin rose more than 21 percent to $14.36 a pound, the data show.
This easy access to this data spurred Commentator ThePatrioticBlonde, a self-professed "Constitutional Conservative," to vent her frustration with Hassett and President Donald Trump's entire administration.
"The audacity of this administration to come out and say something so easily disprovable is astounding," she wrote. "Americans are struggling to pay rent, let alone afford a house and this White House is telling you we live in the greatest economy of all time. Unbelievable."
Political commentator Jason Levin also took umbrage with Hassett's off the cuff comment on hamburgers.
"The rest of the economy is doing a full‑body house fire," he said. "It’s giving: 'Yes, everything costs a kidney… but your burger is 19 cents cheaper, so actually you’re thriving.'"
But Sara McGee, a Democratic nominee for the Texas House of Representatives, admitted she was grateful to Hassett.
"There are a lot of things you can lie about in politics," she said. "What I actually appreciate about the strategy below, is that when you are flat out lying about things that people see every day with their own eyes, it makes it crystal clear that you are lying, and it plants the seed of distrust around every other thing that comes out of your mouth. And that is helping more and more people come out of the fog."