DEJA VU: Fact-Butcher Glenn Kessler DOUBLES DOWN on Debunked ‘Slipshod’ Inflation Spin

NewsBusters ^ | 9/28/2023 | Joseph Vazquez

[JV3MRC]

Apparently The Washington Post’s in-house fact-butcher Glenn Kessler hasn’t learned his lesson. He regurgitated one of his already-debunked arguments spinning inflation data to protect President Joe Biden.

Kessler used the second GOP presidential primary debate to once again target candidates who dared to suggest that American families lost significant spending power as a result of President Biden’s policy-induced inflation crisis. Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley asserted that Biden’s economy has cost “$7,000 more a year for families,” which Kessler got triggered over. He attributed Haley’s statement to analysis conducted by Heritage Foundation economist EJ Antoni, which the fact-checker brazenly misrepresented. Kessler falsely claimed that Antoni’s analysis was faulty because it supposedly “relied on a change in purchasing power and a change in borrowing power. The change in borrowing power relied on mortgage rates — and not every family is looking for a new home.” This isn’t the first time Kessler has done this.

Antoni got straight to the point and eviscerated Kessler’s arguments in a Twitter thread: “This is the second time @GlennKesslerWP has misrepresented what I told him.” Antoni thoroughly debunked the same lazy argument by Kessler in an interview with MRC Business back in August.

Kessler plastered a two-bit “fact-check” on a parallel argument made by Republican presidential candidate Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) during the first GOP presidential primary debate about Americans losing spending power under Biden. Kessler’s line of reasoning in the fact-checks of Haley’s and Scott’s policy positions were nearly identical and both pieces fudged the facts on Antoni’s analysis. It should come as little surprise then that both fact-checks duplicated the same misrepresentations of Antoni’s work nearly word for word.

[Paladin2]

Has the WaPo ever been wrong.

[Paladin2]

Has the WaPo ever been wrong?

[spintreebob]

Americans increased their savings during the Trump years....or during COVID depending on your spin.

Now Americans are spending those savings on inflated prices of goods and services.

So American spending stays strong. Bidenomics is based on this factor in its PR campaign. But credit card balances are increasing. Many of the public see the high prices and know something is wrong.

But witness pro and anti Ukraine involvement. Nobody touches the fact that Bidenomics created the war. No wonder the independents aren’t sure the right knows anything.