One of the newly appointed co-chairs of the Republican National Committee recently made a statement on Fox News that could potentially ruffle the feathers of former President Donald Trump.
Contrary to expectations, the gaffe didn’t come from Lara Trump, Trump’s daughter-in-law, but rather from her seemingly more seasoned co-chair, Michael Whatley.
In an attempt to echo the GOP’s latest strategy to appeal to voters, Whatley posed the familiar question: Are you better off now than you were four years ago?
Given the global upheaval caused by the pandemic in 2020, a time when Trump was in office, one might argue that this talking point isn’t the most advantageous for Republicans.
However, Whatley forged ahead with the question on Friday, albeit unintentionally making the opposite case:
“In the final analysis, this boils down to a straightforward comparison between President Trump and President Biden. Were you better off four years ago than you are today? The answer for this entire country is no.”
Interestingly, Whatley reiterated the point that things are currently better under Biden, stating, “We are better,” before swiftly course-correcting with, “We will be better off under President Trump than we will under President Biden.”
The iconic “Are you better off?” question has been a staple for Republicans since Ronald Reagan famously posed it during a 1980 presidential debate with Jimmy Carter.
While effective in 1980, buoyed by high inflation and soaring gas prices, its impact today is questionable, especially considering 2020’s status as one of the deadliest years in U.S. history, among other challenges.
Nonetheless, Republicans persist in trotting out this time-worn talking point, hoping it will resonate somewhere, anywhere.
Earlier this month, Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) attempted to drive home the same message and was promptly met with derision from those with keener memories.
Naturally, Whatley’s remarks sparked a wave of social media mockery from individuals who vividly recall the tumultuous landscape of four years ago.