Former President Donald Trump shared a video on Labor Day that appeared to praise his administration's economic policies, but a news ticker at the bottom of the screen provided data that countered the favorable commentary.
The clip, originally from RFD-TV's “Cow Guy Close,” featured Scott Shellady and T.J. Wilson of the America First Policy Institute. They discussed inflation, with Shellady suggesting that current price increases were a "small tax" Americans could pay to disarm a "big terrorist country." Wilson also spoke positively about the president.
However, the ticker running along the bottom of the screen displayed several news items that highlighted rising prices. One item noted that inflation continued to rise, even if at a slower monthly rate. Another indicated that food prices had increased by 3% compared to the previous year, and energy prices were up by 14.7%.
A particularly notable ticker item reported a recall of 30,000 pounds of beef imported from Argentina. Trump has previously paused tariffs on beef from countries including Argentina and Brazil in an effort to lower grocery costs. Critics of this policy argue that it harms American ranchers and could lead to the import of lower-quality meats.
The video was shared widely on social media, with some users pointing out the apparent contradiction between the hosts' statements and the real-time news updates displayed on screen.