The economy, particularly inflation, appears to be one of the most important factors this year as voters consider whether to stick with President Joe Biden or return to former President Donald Trump.
And some of Trump’s staunchest supporters were willing to play shade this week with Cheesecake Factory menu prices to beat Biden on inflation.
Make America Great Again, a pro-Trump super PAC known as MAGA Inc., has raised millions to support his bid to retake the White House and pay his legal fees in four criminal cases.
MAGA Inc. on Monday drew attention to a post-Sunday social media parody mocking Trump during a speech he gave in Las Vegas. The post falsely suggested that Trump claimed that “warm crab dip” at the Cheesecake Factory now costs $47 below “Biden prices.”
MAGA Inc. acknowledged the parody, but then played with reality as well, declaring that “prices at the Cheesecake Factory have gone up under Joe Biden.”
That message aligns directly with Trump’s campaign, which blamed Biden for inflation and the economy on Wednesday while promoting his speech next Tuesday in Wisconsin.
A deep dive in dairy factory prices
The super political action committee picked seven Cheesecake Factory menu items and compared what they cost in December 2020, a month after Trump lost the presidential election to Biden, with what it called “more recent” prices, showing increases ranging from 21.3 %. in 51.1%.
An obvious problem here – MAGA Inc.’s “latest” prices. dated in November. 23. That’s almost seven months ago. Inflation is not a static economic indicator that stays in place for more than half a year.
MAGA Inc. told me they used archived menu prices from 2020 and 2023 from the website FastFoodMenuPrices.com
Want more up-to-date information? The Cheesecake Factory operates 338 restaurants in the United States and Canada and publishes menus online with the latest prices.
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The menu at The Cheesecake Factory near me in Philadelphia this week showed prices on six of the seven items highlighted by MAGA Inc. have dropped significantly since the super PAC’s “most recent” prices from more than 200 days ago. And Crusted Chicken Romano even costs the same now — $16.95 — as it did back then MAGA Inc. menu from 2020.
The only item that still costs the same today as it did in November was the warm crab dip at $14.50, down from $11.95 in December 2020. Maybe that elevated the dish to a social media parody star?
The explanation for the inflation argument makes no sense
MAGA Inc. Spokesman Alex Pfeiffer told me the super PAC uses archived menus from 2020 and 2023 to have an “apples-to-apples comparison” because prices at Cheesecake Factory restaurants vary by location.
He noted that his PAC is located in West Palm Beach, where prices at the local Cheesecake Factory for seven select items rose by less than $1 to $7 this week compared to prices at the chain’s Philadelphia location.
MAGA Inc. had to rely on FastFoodMenuPrices.com data, Pfieffer said, because previous Cheesecake Factory menu prices are not available through Internet archive searches.
OK But the FastFoodMenuPrices.com numbers from 2020 and 2023 were not associated with any location. So MAGA Inc.’s critique. to Biden is still based on data that was fresh on the day Americans last celebrated Thanksgiving.
Sounds like turkey to me.
Republicans in Congress also use dairy farm prices
It’s not just MAGA Inc. The House Judiciary Committee, chaired by Trump supporter Jim Jordan, an Ohio Republican, posted Monday on the website formerly known as Twitter about inflation in New York, complaining that visitors to that city could “have dinner at the dairy without spending your entire paycheck.” .”
This prompted at least three questions:
- What does this have to do with the Judiciary Committee, which has jurisdiction over federal courts, administrative bodies and law enforcement agencies?
- Why would you eat at a dairy — no offense, big fan of the fried chicken club salad — in one of the best restaurant cities on the planet?
- How hungry are you that you just ate “your entire salary”?
Perhaps Jordan’s problem is impulse control, not inflation.
What is the truth about inflation and restaurant prices?
Biden is acutely aware of the political danger he faces from voters frustrated by inflation and the economy. His campaign on Wednesday circulated media reports of easing inflation in May.
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The Associated Press noted that some chain restaurants are cutting prices. Forbes, citing Labor Department data, said inflation fell to its lowest level since April 2021. Reuters reported that a projected increase in the consumer price index for May did not materialize.
Biden campaign spokesman James Singer said in a press release that the president “inherited an economy on the brink from Donald Trump and is now leading the great American comeback.”
As for The Cheesecake Factory, the publicly traded company last month reported total revenue for the first three months of 2024 at $891.2 million compared to $866.1 million for the first three months of last year.
This is a warm crab dip.
Inflation remains a challenge for Biden
Inflation is still an issue for many voters. As I wrote in January, it’s a lagging indicator of the election, with consumers unsure whether the improvement in conditions is real and will last.
That could be good news for Trump, who hammers Biden on the economy in every speech. It’s an ongoing challenge for Biden, who must woo the full political spectrum of voter support that helped him prevail four years ago if he is to win again.
The Biden camp is promoting every piece of good economic news as it comes, hoping voters will start hearing something positive about the prices they’re paying.
Voters should consider the issue when voting for president. This consideration must come from a clear view of the economy in real time, not as it was more than six months ago. And maybe not from a dairy factory menu.
Follow USA TODAY election columnist Chris Brennan on X, formerly known as Twitter: @ByChrisBrennan
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