The Claim: Jen Psaki told families to consider Taco Bell for Thanksgiving amid inflation concerns
As Americans shop for Thanksgiving and plan their trip to see family and friends, frustration over inflation and record high gas prices continue to haunt the Biden administration.
On social media, hundreds of people shared Facebook posts claiming White House press secretary Jen Psaki advised struggling families to replace their traditional holiday meal with fast food.
“Inflation is hurting us all,” Psaki reportedly told reporters, according to a now deleted Facebook post from The Real Deal of Parenting. “The value menu at Taco Bell is just as tasty and much more affordable.”
The post, which was shared more than 280 times after it was posted on November 23, also included a screenshot of a tweet criticizing the comment.
“White House tells families to consider Taco Bell for Thanksgiving,” read the tweet, which was also posted on Nov. 23 by The Real Deal of Parenting. “The wealth of knowledge and recommendations from our management is simply invaluable. ”
But there is no evidence that Psaki made these comments. The claim comes from a satirical account on Instagram.
Checking the facts:The average whole turkey doesn’t cost $ 83 at the grocery store
USA TODAY has reached out to several social media users who shared the post for comment.
Claim of satirical origin
White House press briefing transcripts do not indicate that Psaki suggested replacing Thanksgiving dinner with Taco Bell. There is also no evidence that she made this statement to reporters.
The claim in The Real Deal of Parenting posts stems from an invented headline posted by a satirical Instagram account.
“White House Tells Families To Consider Taco Bell For Thanksgiving,” read the headline on Nov. 22. It also contains a photo of Psaki during a White House press briefing and the quote used in the Facebook post.
The original Instagram post looks like a preview of a news article. However, a label on the image reads “@ beep.satire”.
The Instagram account, which has more than 20,000 subscribers, publishes “satire, jokes and media flops,” according to its profile. Many of his publications have invented titles.
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The allegation is an example of what you might call stolen satire, in which fabricated claims published and labeled as satire are reposted in a way that makes them appear legitimate news. As a result, readers of the second-gen post are being misled, as was the case here.
Our rating: False
Based on our research, we rate the claim that Psaki told families to consider Taco Bell for Thanksgiving as FALSE due to inflation concerns. The claim comes from the satirical Instagram page Beep News, which says its content is “100% fake news.” There is no evidence that Psaki ever made the comments attributed to him in the post.
Our sources of fact-checking:
- USA TODAY, November 23, the United States to release 50 million barrels of its strategic oil reserve amid skyrocketing gas prices
- @dangjones, November 24 Tweeter (archived)
- Regan Long, November 23 Tweeter (archived)
- @ stfl2341, November 23 Tweeter (archived)
- The Real Deal of Parenthood, November 23 Tweeter (archived)
- The Real Deal of Parenting, November 23, Facebook post (archived)
- Brittanica.com, consulted on November 24, Marie-Antoinette she really said “Let them eat cake? “
- The White House, consulted on November 23, Archives des points de presse
- Beep News, November 23, Instagram post
- Beep News, November 23, Instagram page
- The Hispanic Veteran, November 23, Facebook post (archived)
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