Democratic strategist David Axelrod believes President Joe Biden has made "a terrible mistake" in boasting about his economy while Americans suffer financial hardships, the Washington Examiner reported. Axelrod, who worked for former President Barack Obama, believes it could undermine Biden's reelection prospects.
Axelrod and others sat down with CNN's Erin Burnett on Wednesday to discuss her interview with Biden. During her previous conversation with the president, he continued to tout the supposed success of economic policies.
Axelrod believes it's a grave mistake at a time when Americans are struggling to make ends meet. He believes Biden "should lead with empathy" instead of allowing his "pride" to jeopardize his reelection.
During the interview with Burnett, Biden downplayed the polling that consistently demonstrates that Americans are worried about the economy. According to a recent Gallup poll, 38% of Americans have a "great deal" or "fair amount" of confidence in Biden's economy.
However, when it comes to his 2024 GOP rival, former President Donald Trump, 46% reported a "great deal" or "fair amount" of confidence in his ability to handle the economy. Biden doesn't believe those numbers.
"The polling data has been wrong all along," Biden insisted. "You guys do a poll at CNN; how many folks do you have to call to get one response?" he pressed.
"The idea that we’re in a situation where things are so bad … when I started this administration, people were saying there’s going to be a collapse in the economy. We have the strongest economy in the world," Biden claimed.
"Let me say that again: in the world," he reiterated. Still, that's not the reality the American people are experiencing, and that disparity could cost Biden dearly come November.
Although Axelrod didn't disagree with the substance of Biden's claim, he rejected the way the president dug his heels into the narrative that things are going great. "It is absolutely true," the strategist said to Burnett, according to Fox News.
"The world was plunged into an economic crisis, and America was plunged into an economic crisis by the pandemic, and we've come back faster than almost any other country and he's right about that. But that's not the way people are experiencing the economy," Axelrod added.
"They're experiencing it through the lens of the cost of living. And he is a man who's built his career on empathy. Why not lead with the empathy?" Axelrod said.
"And I think he's making a terrible mistake… If he doesn't win this race, it may not be Donald Trump that beats him. It may be his own pride," the Obama strategist warned.
Biden is expecting Americans not to believe their own experience when it comes to their economic situation. However, as Axelrod warned, they'll show him exactly what they think of Bidenomics at the ballot box.
