The Biden administration deleted a tweet on Wednesday after it was fact-checked because it was missing key context.
“Seniors are getting the biggest increase in their Social Security checks in 10 years through President Biden’s leadership,” the administration claimed.
Twitter’s Birdwatch program, which has existed for a while, attached a note to the tweet noting that the reason seniors have gotten an increase is because of the inflation rates that have exploded under Biden.
“Seniors will receive a large Social Security benefit increase due to the annual cost of living adjustment, which is based on the inflation rate,” the note said, which included a link to the U.S. Social Security Administration. “President Nixon in 1972 signed into law automatic benefit adjustments tied to the Consumer Price Index.”
Why did the @WhiteHouse delete this tweet? pic.twitter.com/sVQYCGMtXt
— Mark Bednar (@MarkBednar) November 2, 2022
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre claimed that the reason the administration deleted the tweet was because it was “not complete.”
“Look, the tweet was not complete. Usually when we put out a tweet we post it with context, and it did not have that context,” Jean-Pierre said. “So in the past, we’ve pointed out that for the first time in over a decade, seniors’ Medicare premiums will decrease even as their Social Security checks increase. That’s a little bit of context that was not included.”
The administration was mocked online after they deleted the tweet.
“Incredible,” political strategist Matt Whitlock tweeted. “The White House’s dumb tweet celebrating the increase in social security checks gets a Twitter fact-check — because they left out the fact that the increase was caused by inflation.”
Commentary magazine editor Noah Rothman tweeted: “The Biden White House has officially deleted the tweet where they take credit for 8% annualized inflation. But screenshots are forever.”
“Why did the White House delete this tweet?” RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel tweeted. “If Biden wants ‘credit’ for inflation, he has it!”
Failed Libertarian vice presidential candidate Spike Cohen tweeted: “White House: seniors are getting the biggest SS increase in 10 years. Context-checkers: That’s because inflation is the highest it’s been in decades. White House: *deletes tweet*”
Cohen then falsely suggested that the fact-check was added to the tweet because of new Twitter CEO Elon Musk. Twitter started their “Birdwatch” program in January 2021, more than 20 months before Musk bought the company.
The Birdwatch notes are “written by people who use Twitter, and appears when rated helpful by others.”
Related: Biden Claims He Spoke To Insulin Inventor. There’s Just One Problem.
