‘Start Writing That Way, Okay?’: Biden Demands Press Give Positive Spin To His Economic Policies

President Joe Biden gruffly instructed reporters on Wednesday to “start writing” that his economic policies have been succeeding, a demand that drew some blowback on social media.

A reporter asked Biden at the White House whether the United States “beat” inflation on the back of the release of data showing the annual consumer price increase dropped below 3% in July, the lowest since March 2021.

“Yes! Yes! Yes! I told you we were going to have a soft landing,” Biden replied. “We’re going to have a soft landing. My policies are working — start writing that way, Okay?”

Reporter asks about inflation.

President Biden: "I told you you're going to have a soft landing…my policies are working. Start writing that way, okay?" pic.twitter.com/sHebANBv06

— CSPAN (@cspan) August 14, 2024

Multiple media reports said the “cooling” inflation data indicate the Federal Reserve will move ahead with an expected cut in interest rates next month. A “soft landing” can be achieved if the central bank steers the U.S. clear of a recession.

Still, Biden’s terse response to the press regarding the economy — in which the rising cost of goods and services has put a pinch on consumers over the past couple of years — elicited a flurry of responses on X.

“He beat affordability just like he beat Medicare. To death. A 2% [year-over-year] inflation rate after three and a half years of record inflation still means everything is 20% too expensive,” said Daily Wire Editor Emeritus Ben Shapiro.

He beat affordability just like he beat Medicare. To death. A 2% YoY inflation rate after three and a half years of record inflation still means everything is 20% too expensive. https://t.co/Os8uGtAv3m

— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) August 14, 2024

“Biden has always had a chip on his shoulder about how the media covers him. But now he’s not even trying to hide it,” said political commentator and former CNN editor-at-large Chris Cillizza.

A Republican National Committee account also shared the clip and said, “Biden gets angry at the press as his handlers desperately try to kick them out of the room.”

Christopher Cadelago, POLITICO’s California bureau chief, noted “Biden’s list of I-told-you-sos has grown, and this quote feels very much like his comments after passage of [The Inflation Reduction Act] and infrastructure package.”

The journalist added, “At one point Biden even said he had a binder of old headlines from stories and columns that he ultimately proved wrong.”

Biden, who recently ended his 2024 re-election campaign and stepped aside for Vice President Kamala Harris to replace him atop the Democratic Party’s ticket, said last week he wanted his legacy to include how he “cured” the economy.

Former President Donald Trump responded to a rough U.S. stock market day by posting in all capital letters to Truth Social that voters can choose “TRUMP PROSPERITY, OR THE KAMALA CRASH & GREAT DEPRESSION OF 2024.”