'War on Reality': Biden Admin Sends Out Ridiculous Propaganda Pamphlet to US Media
‘Tis the season to bend reality — at least if you’re at the White House.
After all, 2021 wasn’t anything to brag about. Inflation has reached record highs. Our disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan was humiliating. A border crisis engulfed the Southwest.
More people died of COVID-19 under the Biden administration than during Donald Trump’s last year, according to The Wall Street Journal, despite the fact Biden said during the last presidential debate that “anyone that is responsible for that many deaths should not remain as president of the United States of America.”
He isn’t going anywhere, however. In fact, he’s bragging to the media about how year one went for his administration.
On Saturday, conservative writer Drew Holden posted what can only be described as a digital-age propaganda pamphlet the administration sent out to the media touting the president’s “successes” in his first year in office — something the White House was apparently hoping reporters and commentators would uncritically eat up. (The problem is, as we’ve found out, so many outlets will — and we try to hold them to account here at The Western Journal. You can help us keep them honest by subscribing.)
The leaked memo even gave the media space to self-aggrandize: “Happy Saturday! Wanted to share a memo that you can source ‘as obtained’ by your media outlet,” the email from White House assistant press secretary Vedant Patel read.
Holden called it a “war on reality” and “end-of-year desperation they’re hoping the press will buy.”
NEW: The Biden Admin sent talking points out today touting their accomplishments to (some) reporters. It can only be described as a war on reality.
Quick ? to break down the end-of-year desperation they’re hoping the press will buy. ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/HquD86eO2u
— Drew Holden (@DrewHolden360) December 18, 2021
Yes, you can claim you “obtained” the memo through your elite skills at journalism — i.e., opening your email inbox. There are almost no words for that craven sort of ego-stroking.
The memo, according to Patel, “lays out how event [sic] in spite of unprecedented crises and opposition from Congressional Republicans, President Biden and Congressional Democrats got an enormous amount done for the American people in 2021.”
First up were vaccines: “Without mentioning that the Admin inherited three vaccines from their predecessor, Biden claims credit for a 70% jump in vaccination rate year-over-year,” Holden tweeted.
First, vaccination rates. Without mentioning that the Admin inherited three vaccines from their predecessor, Biden claims credit for a 70% jump in vaccination rate year-over-year. pic.twitter.com/ORF4bYm8w9
— Drew Holden (@DrewHolden360) December 18, 2021
“At this time last year: less than 1% of Americans were fully vaccinated. Today: More than 71% of American adults are fully vaccinated,” the memo read.
Of course, vaccines were all but unavailable at this time last year — and Holden noted the Biden administration has fallen way short of its vaccination goals.
A year ago, the first vaccine had been administered one week prior, so OF COURSE vax rates were low.
But when Biden was sworn in, the US was vaccinating citizens at the 5th highest rate in the developed world.
That # has fallen dramatically under Biden. https://t.co/TJEH6mVk8p
— Drew Holden (@DrewHolden360) December 18, 2021
Furthermore, while the administration was crowing about how schools were opening, that had little to do with the White House, considering how the administration sidled up to teachers unions at every step of the process:
And the school opening stat is despite, not because of, the Admin, who has repeatedly pushed for anti-science measures at the behest of the teachers’ unions. https://t.co/wwfrLS4zaZ pic.twitter.com/8ual1BBcqU
— Drew Holden (@DrewHolden360) December 18, 2021
And the White House took credit for job creation, even though monthly employment numbers often came in far below estimates and many of the government jobs the administration crowed about creating were in states that bucked federal guidance on lockdowns and mask mandates — engaging in what Biden once memorably called “Neanderthal thinking.”
Taking credit for the creation of local and state jobs is also intellectually dishonest when so many of the largest job creating states – Florida, Texas, etc. – not only didn’t vote for Biden but have (with good reason) rejected his economic advice. https://t.co/a9ZpSOTeVh
— Drew Holden (@DrewHolden360) December 18, 2021
“In the final 3 months of Trump administration, on average 170,000 leisure/hospitality jobs were lost per month,” the memo read. “Under President Biden, close to 2.5 million leisure and hospitality jobs (~250K a month) were added.”
Comparing job gains to the darkest days of COVID — before vaccines were available or lockdowns lifted — is comparing crabapples to oranges and noting that, yes indeed, the latter does taste better. If this is the kind of disingenuous thing that passes muster as an “accomplishment” at 1600 Pennsylvania, heaven help us all.
Even worse: The administration is claiming it’s doing great on inflation and the supply chain.
“The President has taken action to address supply chain blockages and address price increase, including a historic release from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve and signing a Competition Executive Order that is already lowering the prices on hearing aids.”
Of course, the release from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve fizzled and a reduction of the price of hearing aids is an oddly specific — and, for most Americans, uniquely useless — piece of inflation-fighting.
And did the Biden White House crow about the modest reduction in gas prices as of late after a year of historic energy-price increases? Of course it did: “The price of gas at the pump has decreased nearly 10 cents since its peak, and continuing to fall,” the memo read. Conspicuously, it didn’t mention what the price was this time last year, like it did with so many other things. (It was $2.26 on Dec. 20, 2020, according to an Associated Press report from the time. data from the Energy Information Administration; it was 3.32 a gallon as of Dec. 13, according to GasBuddy.)
As Holden pointed out, polls have shown almost 70 percent of Americans disapprove of the job Biden is doing on inflation and economic matters — including Democrats.
Absent from this is that nearly 70% of Americans think Biden is doing a bad job at handling inflation and the economy. That even includes a *majority* of Dems.
You can almost feel the desperation coming off of the memo here. pic.twitter.com/kC1MTqOLY7
— Drew Holden (@DrewHolden360) December 18, 2021
You can read the full memo here: pic.twitter.com/uAYqGkmOwM
— Drew Holden (@DrewHolden360) December 18, 2021
One is almost surprised that the report doesn’t try to put a positive spin on the withdrawal from Afghanistan or the border crisis. I can almost imagine it: “Future Democrat voters crossing the southern border increased over 100 percent under Biden. In addition, the administration created tens of thousands of refugee opportunities in failed Middle Eastern states.”
The most telling thing, however, is that the administration expected this to be profitable, that it would be reported by the outlets who “obtained” as if it were received gospel. For all we know, they will; it wouldn’t be the first time the media has run interference for a poxed administration, nor will it be the last.
The American people, however, aren’t buying it.
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