Karoline Leavitt has been widely ridiculed after she suggested that the country is “more affordable” now under President Donald Trump.
During a Monday appearance on Sean Hannity’s Fox News show, the White House press secretary pushed a wild claim about the economy that is not reflected in the experiences of tens of millions of Americans, according to recent polling and economic analysis.
“This is no longer the Democrat Party of JFK. Heck, this is not even the Democrat Party of Barack Obama,” Leavitt said. “These are radical Democrats who support terrible policies across the board.
“We had four years of that under Joe Biden, thanks to President Trump and Republicans and common-sense policies across the board, our country is safer, our country is more affordable. We cannot allow these radical, extreme, far-left liberals to take power.”
Trump made tackling the cost-of-living crisis and controlling inflation one of the main promises of his 2024 presidential campaign.
However, the 80-year-old president’s disastrous policies during his second term, including his sweeping tariff plans and the war in Iran, have only exacerbated the financial hardships facing voters across the country.
Leavitt’s comments on Hannity were widely condemned on social media after they went viral online.
“They truly have no respect for any of us. This should be funny but it shows they think we are all idiots. We aren’t,” Democratic Missouri congressional candidate Fred Wellman posted on X.
Tahra Hoops, director of economic research at the Chamber of Progress, wrote: “Crazy since pessimism regarding the economy is rising sharply across the board, including among independents and even Republicans. There is no doubt that the cost of living continues to be a top concern.”
Political advocacy group Veterans for Responsible Leadership posted while sharing a clip of Leavitt’s remarks: “It’s incredible when you can just lie every night with no consequences. Karoline Leavitt tomorrow night on Fox News: Thanks to President Trump, our country is not at war in the Middle East.”
Dean Baker, senior economist at the Center for Economic and Policy Research, added: “Always remember, Fox News paid out $787 million for spreading lies about the 2020 election.”
While Biden’s term in office was plagued by decades-high inflation and rising gas prices in the wake of the COVID pandemic and the oil crisis following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, both had drastically fallen by the time the Democrat left the White House.
Trump’s deeply unpopular war in Iran has also caused gas prices and inflation to surge, and both are currently higher than they were when Biden left office.
As a result, Trump has been recording dire approval ratings on the top voter issue of the economy, which could have devastating consequences for Republicans in the midterm elections.
The Daily Beast has contacted the White House for comment.
