After posting a piece on Friday that suggested Americans should see a minor decrease in petrol prices as a “$100 per month increase” or a “$100 per month tax reduction,” CNN came under heavy fire online.
According to the Energy Information Administration, the national average price of gas was $2.38 per gallon when President Biden took office. By the time the Russian invasion of Ukraine began, it had risen to $3.53 per gallon. According to AAA, prices peaked at $5.00 per gallon in early June before dropping to $3.92 as of Friday.
Chris Isidore, a senior writer for CNN Business, praised the drop in petrol prices without pointing out that prices are still much higher than they were less than two years ago.
“The next time you fill up, consider it a $100 monthly tax break. Or even a rise of $100 each month,” Isidore wrote. As the Federal Reserve works to chill the economy and combat increasing prices with higher interest rates, the steady decline in petrol prices over the last several months has evolved into an unexpected kind of economic stimulus.
Psychologist Geoffrey Miller remarked, “The next time you read whatever @CNN says, think of it as blatant propaganda for the @DNC.”
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) answered, “Orwellian. Next, CNN will attempt to persuade you that 2+2=5. Meanwhile, petrol costs have increased by roughly 65% since Biden took office, because the truth still counts.”
Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA) tweeted, “Let’s be clear: The total average price per gallon is $1.52 more than when Trump left office. Under Biden, gas costs increased by 64%, not decreased, as CNN would have you believe. Nobody is fooled for the extreme left’s foolish lies.”
Senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute Brian Riedl tweeted, “CNN simply makes it so simple for its detractors. This is gaslighting on a whole other level.”
James Taranto, editor at The WSJ, tweeted, “This is an apple. Consider it like a banana.”
“CNN is state-owned media. Even Fox News isn’t as political,” according to a tweet from behavioral science expert Ram Prasad. “They should just rename themselves DNN: Democrat News Network by moving one letter.”