With the US Presidential Elections 2024 just a month and a half away, Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance decided to use the rising cost of eggs as a way to highlight inflation. In a recent video, Vance filmed himself browsing a supermarket aisle with his two children, stopping at the egg section to make his point. He blamed the high prices on President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, stating, “Looking at the prices here, things are way too expensive because of Kamala Harris’ policies.”
While holding a carton of eggs, Vance claimed, “Eggs, when Kamala Harris took office, were short of $1.50 a dozen. Now a dozen eggs will cost you around $4.” He then attributed the price increase to Harris’ “inflationary policies” and her vote on the “Inflation Explosion Act.” Vance shared the video on X (formerly Twitter), where it garnered over 1.9 million views.
However, the video quickly backfired when viewers noticed a glaring inconsistency. Right behind Vance, a price board clearly displayed the eggs on sale for $2.99, not $4 as he claimed. This sparked a wave of online criticism, with many users calling out his blatant falsehood.
One user pointed out the price board, writing, “Uh…. Maybe take the price tags down behind you.” Another commented, “Zoom & enhance… those eggs are $2.99 sir.” Many shared their own experiences of rising egg prices, further highlighting the disconnect between Vance’s claim and the reality of the situation.
Despite the backlash, Vance continued to push his narrative, tweeting about the video and reiterating his false claim about the price of eggs. The video, however, served as a stark reminder of the importance of fact-checking and the dangers of spreading misinformation during a crucial election year.
It’s worth noting that while egg prices have indeed increased in recent years, Vance’s exaggerated claim and his attempt to blame it solely on Kamala Harris were demonstrably false. The Morning Call reported that as of the end of August 2024, the U.S. inflation rate stood at 2.5 percent, the lowest level since February. This indicates that while inflation is still a factor, attributing the rising price of eggs solely to the actions of one individual is an overly simplistic and misleading argument.
