President Joe Biden faced criticism on Super Bowl Sunday after posting a video on his official government X account, blaming corporations for a phenomenon he termed “shrinkflation.” The President’s comments were made in the context of rising inflation, triggered, in part, by the passage of the American Rescue Plan during the initial months of his presidency when Democrats controlled both the House and the Senate.
In the video, Biden expressed his frustration with the observed trend of products having reduced sizes while maintaining their prices, labeling it as a “rip-off.” He specifically cited instances like smaller sports drink bottles, bags of chips with fewer chips, and ice cream cartons shrinking in size without a corresponding reduction in price. The President called for an end to what he termed “shrinkflation” and urged companies to do the right thing.
However, Biden’s video faced widespread mockery and pushback on X, where it garnered millions of views. Critics questioned the President’s approach, with writer Charles C.W. Cooke expressing disbelief at the tactic and RealClearPolitics President Tom Bevan deeming it “insane.” Conservative radio host Jason Rantz highlighted the irony of Biden’s priorities, contrasting his absence from a Super Bowl interview with the posting of a video addressing shrinkflation.
Podcast host Stephen L. Miller dismissed the message, stating, “Nobody believes this,” while writer Jordan Schachtel pointed out that shrinkflation is a way to obscure the impact of rising prices. Some critics viewed Biden’s video as an act of desperation to shift blame for inflation away from his policies, dismissing it as an attempt to present inflation as a result of corporate practices rather than economic policies.
Overall, the response to Biden’s video highlighted skepticism and criticism from conservative voices, questioning the effectiveness and sincerity of the President’s messaging on economic matters.
