Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg faced criticism on Sunday over a remark that he made earlier in the day during a CNN interview where he claimed that the supply chain clog that is currently hitting the U.S. economy is partially due to how “successfully” President Joe Biden has managed the economy, despite skyrocketing inflation and millions quitting their jobs.
Buttigieg, who has faced criticism recently over the revelation that he has been on paid paternity leave for approximately two months, made the remarks during an interview on CNN’s “State of the Union” with host Jake Tapper.
“And if you think about those images of ships, for example, waiting at anchor on the West Coast, you know, every one of those ships is full of record amounts of goods that Americans are buying, because demand is up, because income is up, because the president has successfully guided this economy out of the teeth of a terrifying recession,” Buttigieg claimed. “Now the issue is, even though our ports are handling more than they ever have, record amounts of goods coming through, our supply chains can’t keep up. And, of course, our supply chains, that’s a complicated system that is mostly in private hands, and rightly so.”
The following are some of the responses to Buttigieg’s claim:
- Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX): “Dem talking points: ‘The supply chain is broken down, goods can’t get in & inflation is skyrocketing…because things are so damn good. And this will continue. By winter, things will be so good…there will be no Christmas presents whatsoever!’ CNN: ‘Mmm, yes that makes sense….'”
- Steven Law, CEO of Senate Leadership Fund: “I still can’t [sic] over that—in the middle of a real transportation crisis—Biden’s Transportation Secretary reappears after a lengthy secret leave when literally no one was in charge of DOT to shovel out this drivel on national TV.”
- Tim Murtaugh, former Trump campaign spokesman: “So let’s make sure we understand the spin here. Basically they’re saying that everything sucks because Biden is so awesome.”
- Houston Keene, Fox News reporter: “So let me get this straight: the economy is doing so well that the supply chain is crumbling? That’s not how supply chains work — that’s how recessions work.”
- Josh Kraushaar, National Journal: “Paging fact checkers.”
- Greg Pollowitz, Twitchy: “This is such a bulls*** answer, and I don’t even blame just Biden for what’s going on.”
- Geoffrey Ingersoll, The Daily Caller: “‘All this terrible s*** is happening because of the president’s huge success’ is bold enough to make Trump blush.”
- Tim Graham, NewsBusters: “Mayor Pete is making Biden sound like he’s Han Solo driving the Millennium Falcon.”
- Omri Ceren, National Security Adviser for Ted Cruz: “I can’t get over this. The most comforting explanation is that Biden officials are – brazenly, unblinkingly, with full confidence journalists will let them get away with it – lying about their grip on high school economics. Because the alternatives are really grim.”