Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, in that famous interview PBS interview in which she confessed that she’s “not the expert” on foreign policy stuff, also made the claim that the reason unemployment under the Trump administration was so low is that everyone was working two jobs and putting in 70 or 80 hours a week.
The Washington Post’s fact-checker gave her four Pinocchios for that one, explaining that in reality, only about 5 percent of Americans work more than one job.
That hasn’t stopped other Democratic candidates for president for trying to pull the same line, and Kamala Harris did it again Monday in South Carolina.
Kamala Harris slams Trump economy, low unemployment: 'They're working two and three jobs' https://t.co/LaE9wruMRX
— The Washington Times (@WashTimes) July 8, 2019
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Kamala D. Harris on Monday dismissed the strong U.S. economy under President Trump by saying people are now forced to work multiple jobs to survive.
“Well yeah, people are working. They’re working two and three jobs,” Ms. Harris said at a town hall-style forum in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. “In our America, you should only have to work one job to have a roof over your head and food on the table.”
She also brushed off the robust stock market as a poor indicator of the country’s economic health.
“That’s fine if you have stocks,” the California Democrat said, eliciting laughter and applause from the audience.
We’re guessing that the audience was there voluntarily to see Harris, from which we can deduce that most of them are economically illiterate. “I might have a 401(k) and a pension fund, but I’m not one of those rich people on Wall Street who owns stock!”
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It was nice of the fact-checkers to torch Ocasio-Cortez, but it wouldn’t hurt to keep calling this out.
Harris is pushing a similar claim to @AOC which received 4 Pinocchios from WaPo.
Harris has already been warned by WaPo: "Harris’s line may get applause, but she needs to be careful with it. Some listeners may get an impression NOT WARRANTED BY THE FACTS." https://t.co/Hp4ZAP3Ick
— Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) July 8, 2019
She's been doing this for a while now. https://t.co/mjrGl2XZkd
— Timothy Meads (@Timothy__Meads) July 8, 2019
She and Bernie Sanders and Beto O’Rourke. The memo went out some time ago that this was how to counter Trump’s record-low unemployment numbers: lie.
@KamalaHarris has @AOC’s grasp of economics.
— Vinny (@vinnyc101) July 8, 2019
A person with two jobs doesn't get counted twice by the Bureau of Labor Statistics when the unemployment rate is calculated, so that's a poor argument.
— Kevin Carr (@KevPCarr) July 8, 2019
“Record low unemployment is bad” is an odd take. Saying the numbers are low because people have multiple jobs is just advertising ignorance about how the numbers are compiled.
— RightMakesRight (@RightMakesRight) July 8, 2019
— Excommunicado Z ?? (@ExcommunicadoZ) July 8, 2019
WRONG!!!!!!!
— CoachS. (@pa_proud) July 8, 2019
False. The numbers are against her and she knows it.
— Insufficient Tact (@InsufficientTkt) July 8, 2019
If that’s the case, it must have been horrible while Obama was President.
The economy is much better now.
— David Wheeler (@DavidWh38580051) July 8, 2019
Well isn't that just a special LIE!
In fact those working multiple jobs since Trump became president has also decreased. A fact the democrats ignore when they are going for applause.
— Brian Dornbush (@GrampsDornbush) July 8, 2019
Now she is quoting another comic.
— Shahin (@ShahinUSAIRAN) July 8, 2019
She has no clue how it’s supposed to be changed or even if it should
— Michael Daly (@STP43FAN) July 8, 2019
@brianstelter @jaketapper
Will either of you fact check this statement?— Frank J Lomanno (@LomannoJ) July 8, 2019
It should be easy — it’s already been fact-checked a few times now.
Related:
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: America isn't upper-middle class soccer moms in minivans anymore https://t.co/G1r0nJb3pk
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) August 7, 2018
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