Republican presidential candidates spent much of Wednesday night’s debate attacking each other but there was also room for criticism of President Biden’s economic policies.
Eight candidates took to the stage in a two-hour debate, while Donald Trump opted out preferring instead an online interview with Tucker Carlson, the former Fox news host.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis began with an attack on ‘Bidenomics’–a phrase the White House has used to describe Biden’s economic policies and focus on growing the middle class.
“We must reverse Bidenomics so that middle class families have a chance to succeed again. We cannot succeed as a country if you are working hard and you can’t afford groceries, a car, or a new home,” he said.
DeSantis also pledged to “open up all energy production” in a bid to lower gas prices, vowing that America would become “energy dominant” again.
U.S. senator Tim Scott was the next candidate to criticize the President over the economy, and particularly on food and gas price inflation. He blamed a series of spending packages and said “we can stop that by turning the spigot off in Washington.”
Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley took a different direction, criticizing her own party over the economy. “The truth is that Biden didn’t do this to us. Our Republicans did this to us too when they passed that $2.2 trillion Covid stimulus bill,” she said.
President Biden appeared to respond to the criticism with a defense of so-called Bidenomics in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
“Bidenomics is anchored in what’s always worked best for our country: investing in Americans. When we invest in ourselves and strengthen the middle class, we see stronger economic growth that benefits everybody.”
Write to Callum Keown at [email protected]
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