Here we go again. The spin machine is working overtime, folks, as MSNBC panelist Maria Hinojosa assures us that President Joe Biden’s economy is actually great—we’re just too gullible to see it. According to her, Americans have been hoodwinked into believing the economy is in shambles because of what she calls a "negative narrative."
That’s right, your empty wallet and soaring grocery bills? Just a figment of your imagination, apparently. It’s a bold claim, and it’s about as convincing as Biden’s infamous quip that the data has been “wrong all along.”
Let’s unpack this nonsense. First, the reality is that Americans don’t need to be "told" the economy is struggling—they’re living it. They feel it every time they swipe a card at the gas station, cringe at the checkout line in the grocery store, or watch their retirement accounts stagnate. Inflation may not dominate headlines as it did in 2022, but its lingering effects are real and brutal, with the cost of living still far above pre-Biden levels. No amount of economist cheerleading on MSNBC is going to convince Americans that this is a “great” economy.
The numbers back up what voters are feeling. As recently as May 2024, an ABC News/Ipsos poll found that 70% of Americans thought the economic conditions in the U.S. were poor. That same poll showed more than half of Americans were dissatisfied with their personal financial situation. Think about that for a second. When a majority of the country feels they’re worse off, that’s not a "perception problem" created by some narrative—it’s a lived reality.
Even Biden’s own attempts to gaslight the public about the economy fall flat. Remember when he told CNN, "They think the nation’s not in good shape, but they’re personally in good shape"? The arrogance is staggering. First, it’s dismissive of genuine economic pain. Second, it flies in the face of polling showing that even at a personal level, many Americans feel financially squeezed. It’s no wonder the Biden team tried to change the subject to “democracy” and other abstract issues in the lead-up to the election. But voters had other ideas: the economy was the top concern for 80% of them.
And what about the election results? The post-election CBS News/YouGov poll reveals the stark difference between Biden's rhetoric and how voters actually feel. Fifty percent of voters believe America’s best days are ahead, a clear rejection of the doom-and-gloom era of Bidenomics. And yet, Hinojosa and her ilk can’t seem to grasp this.
Instead, they trot out smug commentary about how Americans have “believed the rhetoric” that the economy is bad. This kind of ivory tower condescension is precisely why voters tuned out the media spin and went with someone like Donald Trump, who talked about tangible results instead of trying to redefine reality.
But let’s not miss the bigger irony here: this "great economy" supposedly created by Biden is so fragile that it can’t withstand criticism. If it’s truly strong, it should speak for itself. Instead, we get lectures from pundits like Hinojosa telling us that our discontent is manufactured. Sorry, but Americans don’t need a cable news host to explain their struggles—they experience them every single day.
Now, with Trump back in the driver’s seat, the voters are expecting action, not excuses. The Biden administration spent its time hand-waving inflation, dismissing concerns about energy policy, and trying to convince us that everything was fine. Trump’s task will be to rebuild trust by tackling the core issues voters care about: lowering costs, creating jobs, and making America a place where people feel optimistic about their future again.