The Secretary of Commerce, Gina Raimondo, faced intense backlash on social media after admitting during an interview with ABC News that she was “not familiar” with a significant jobs report revision from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). This admission came during a conversation with ABC News correspondent Kayna Whitworth, who asked Raimondo for her thoughts on the updated job numbers, which revealed that over 800,000 fewer jobs were created than initially reported.
The exchange began when Whitworth questioned Raimondo about the revised jobs data, highlighting exactly why the US economy is a mess. The reporter even played a clip of former President Trump, who, during a rally in North Carolina, accused the current administration of inflating job numbers. Trump claimed, “The administration padded the numbers with an extra – listen to this one – 818,000 jobs that don’t exist. They built ‘em up so they could say what a wonderful job they’re doing.”
Raimondo appeared to dismiss Trump’s statements as misinformation, asserting, “When I hear that, first of all, I don’t believe it because I’ve never heard Donald Trump say anything truthful.” However, when Whitworth clarified that the figures came from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Raimondo responded, “I’m not familiar with that,” despite the report being released several hours prior to the interview.
Following this exchange, Raimondo quickly shifted the conversation to praise Vice President Harris’s “pro-business” economic approach, though Harris has recently faced criticism, including from the left, for suggesting policies that some argue resemble government price controls.
Raimondo’s admission that she was unaware of the major jobs reports revision shows how clueless the supposed leaders are running the country.
National Review senior writer Charles Cooke expressed disbelief, stating, “This is the Secretary of Commerce.” Fox News contributor Katie Pavlich warned of the consequences of misleading the public, writing, “There’s only so much you can fake or hide before things come crashing down. Biden’s decline, cooking the books on the economy, redefining ‘recession,’ etc.” Conservative commentator Ned Ryun did not hold back, exclaiming, “Holy hell. We are governed by idiots.”
The backlash didn’t end there. Chaya Raichik, the creator of Libs of TikTok, added to the criticism by pointing out, “This is the Secretary of Commerce btw.” Meanwhile, comedian Tim Young sarcastically summed up the sentiment by saying, “They think you’re stupid.”
The incident has raised questions about the administration’s transparency and accountability, especially regarding critical economic data that directly impacts public perception and policy-making. As the controversy continues to unfold, it remains to be seen how the administration will address the growing concerns about its handling of economic information.
Reporter: Nearly a million jobs "created" since Kamala took office do not exist.
Raimondo: “I don’t believe it because I’ve never heard Trump say anything truthful.”
Reporter: "It is from the Bureau of Labor."
Raimondo: "I'm not familiar with that."pic.twitter.com/UFKJiwWuPZ
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) August 21, 2024
