President Joe Biden, who's running for reelection and the presumptive 2024 Democratic nominee, faces criticism from an unlikely source regarding his economic messaging, RadarOnline.com has learned.
Despite his focus on economic growth during his term, some voices, including former Obama strategist David Axelrod, have expressed dissatisfaction with his approach.
According to recent data, the United States has experienced job growth under the Biden administration, with the most recent Labor Department report revealing the creation of 303,000 new jobs in March, bringing the unemployment rate down to 3.8 percent.
While the economy has shown signs of improvement, critiques persist about the challenges faced by working-class voters.
Axelrod, a former ally of Biden from their time in the Obama administration, voiced his concerns during an interview with Bulwark editor-at-large Bill Kristol.
Criticizing Biden's economic message, Axelrod highlighted the necessity of a more empathetic approach towards the struggles of the working class, while still acknowledging the administration's accomplishments. He told Kristol that Biden "drives [him] crazy."
In response to a recent interview when Biden told Al Roker, "I would tell [them] we've got the strongest economy in the world," Axelrod called it the "wrong strategy."
"The right strategy is to say, 'Look, we've made a lot of progress from the day I walked in the door as a country, and I'm proud of our country for fighting through this pandemic and getting her back to where we've got this much employment. But the fact is, the way people experience this economy is the way I did when I was growing up in Scranton, Pennsylvania,'" he explained.
"How much did you pay for the groceries? How do you afford the gas, [and] the rent? And these continue to be a problem, and I'm fighting that fight," the former Obama staffer continued. "So I think he needs to put himself on the side of working people in their economic fight here."
Regarding the ongoing debate about the economy, Biden's supporters argue that the president's successes have been overshadowed by negative media narratives.
On the other hand, critics point out that working-class individuals continue to grapple with the high cost of essential goods and services, such as groceries, housing, and transportation.
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As RadarOnline.com previously reported, Biden's re-election campaign surpassed expectations by raising over $90 million.
This significant achievement brought the Democratic candidate's total cash on hand to a historic $192 million, setting a new record for any Democratic candidate in this stage of an election cycle.