President Biden Highlights Positive Outlook on Economy
“My name is Joe Biden and I work for the governor and the senator,” the president said as he stepped into the Nowhere Coffee Co. in Emmaus, Pennsylvania along with Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pennsylvania. Biden ordered what appeared to be a mango smoothie.
During a later stop at a firefighter training center in Allentown, Biden said people were beginning to feel positive about the economy, particularly inflation, which has receded from its June 2002 high of 9.1% to 3.4%.
“If you notice, they’re feeling much better about how the economy is doing,” Biden said in response to a reporter’s question. “What we haven’t done is letting them know exactly who got it changed. … Everybody’s doing better and they believe it. They know it. And it’s just beginning to sink in.”
Economic Successes in Allentown
Under Biden, unemployment in Allentown sits at 3.9% and has reached a 20-year low, according to figures provided by the White House. In addition, 32,000 jobs were added in the region and new business applications grew by more than 30% in 2022.
But the economic recovery touted by the president stands in stark contrast to recent announcements of layoffs at some influential institutions in the banking, tech, and business sectors. Citigroup plans to let go of 20,000 employees over the next two years, while Amazon also plans to lay off hundreds of workers in various divisions.
Economic Criticism from Republicans
Trump and several Republican presidential contenders have criticized Biden’s record on the economy. Haley, in a statement to Fox News Digital, said many Americans are still feeling the pinch of increasing costs for everyday items. “Biden’s runaway spending is hurting American families,” she said. “We need to stop the borrowing, stop the debt, and cut up the credit cards. But first, we have to retire Joe Biden from the White House.”
Fox News Digital reached out to other GOP presidential contenders for comment.
A Fox News poll released last month revealed only a minority of Americans felt helped by Biden’s economic policies.
Biden Administration Urges Patience
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Americans needed to give the economic policies more “time” to take effect. She acknowledged that voters remain skeptical of the president’s performance. “It takes a little bit of time. But it doesn’t mean that the president is not going to continue to work,” she stated.
The Associated Press and Fox News Digital’s Hanna Panreck and Dana Blanton contributed to this report.
