Americans are finding that firing up the grill and preparing the marinades over Labor Day weekend is losing out as they find that some of the staple ingredients for traditional barbecue are becoming significantly more expensive.
It all starts with firing up the grill, which is more expensive than it was three and a half years ago. The prices of propane, heating oil and firewood are up 1.2% compared to 1.2% last year, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Elevated 16 percent from January 2021 to July 2024.
Basic American barbecue staples are also becoming more expensive, with burgers and hot dogs becoming more expensive. According to Consumer Price Index (CPI) data, the price of ground beef is Elevated 26 percent since January 2021, when former President Donald Trump left the White House.
Chart — US Bureau of Labor Statistics: Consumer Price Index
Similarly, hot dog That's up 25% from January 2021. Chicken prices have also risen since Biden and Harris took office. According to seasonally unadjusted Consumer Price Index (CPI) data, the prices of fresh and frozen chicken parts rose 1.2%. 23 percent higher The situation is worse now than when President Trump left office in January 2021. Americans Roast a whole chicken Heading into the long weekend, the price of fresh whole chickens has increased 27 percent since January 2021.
If your friends and family want to ditch the low-carb trend and pair their barbecue dishes with rolls, it'll cost you even more. Fresh Biscuits, Rolls, and Muffins in the U.S. Elevated 28 percent since Biden and Harris took office.
Drinking a cold beer with friends isn't as cheap as it used to be. Cost Calculation Americans are 16 percent more likely to be living in the U.S. than when Trump left office.
Side dishes are also expensive. Even just a basic summer side salad can be expensive. lettuce It's up 21 percent since January 2021; Salad dressing It's up 31 percent.
What is barbecue without spices, seasonings, condiments and sauces? Fee These items are now 24 percent more expensive than in January 2021, a significant increase.
And that's not all: If Americans are planning to travel over Labor Day weekend — to meet up with friends and family for pricey barbecues — they'll also be paying more at the gas pump: Gas prices have risen 50 percent since January 2021.
Chart — US Bureau of Labor Statistics: Consumer Price Index
Rising prices are a reality Americans are already all too familiar with, with food prices across the board increasing 22 percent since January 2021. Breitbart News detailed:
Data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics show Food prices increased 22% from January 2021, when President Joe Biden and Harris first took office, to July 2024.
This is true despite the Biden-Harris Administration falsely claiming, and continuing to completely deny, that food prices have fallen.
Americans don't need graphs and data to see the reality of rising food prices, but The Wall Street Journal An analysis of NielsenIQ data on the prices of everyday food items shows that Americans are feeling pretty squeezed, ultimately concluding that a $100 grocery purchase in 2019 would cost roughly $140 today.
Related – Harris' rep explains why she's failed to fix inflation after 3.5 years; she says she'll “continue to lead” and what she'll do next
Democrats continue to try to disassociate themselves from Harris and the inflationary policies she promoted, and Americans are not feeling positive about the current trajectory on inflation.
In a recent survey, economist/YouGov Showed Sixty percent of respondents chose inflation as their top domestic issue, and 60% were dissatisfied with Biden's handling of the issue — which doesn't bode well for Harris, especially considering 96% view inflation and prices as an “important” issue.
Breitbart News reported:
of economist Polls show that Americans, at least on a subjective level,are experiencing higher inflation than official figures indicateTwenty-six percent of Americans say inflation is the most important issue, followed by 12% who say “jobs and the economy” is the most important issue. These figures have not changed much in recent months, and are actually much higher than a year ago, when only 18% cited inflation as their top issue.
Looking below the top line numbers, 25% of independent voters say inflation is their biggest challengeUp from 18 percent last year. Among Democrats, those who say inflation is their biggest challenge increased from 10 percent to 19 percent. Among Republicans, this increased from 26 percent to 35 percent. 29 percent of Hispanic voters said inflation is their biggest challenge, up from 23 percent last August. 19 percent of black voters said inflation is their biggest challenge, up from 10 percent. 27 percent of white voters said inflation is their biggest challenge, up from 19 percent.
Meanwhile, the Harris campaign continues to deny it. Sen. Chris Coons (D-Delaware), a supporter of Harris' Waltz campaign, appeared on CNN in August and argued that inflation was due to the post-pandemic economic recovery.
“It was the former president who mismanaged the pandemic and she is not responsible for the resulting economic dislocation and job losses, as well as the high inflation we've seen in the recovery from the pandemic,” he said, completely absolving Harris.
Watch — Co-chair Harris: Inflation is the result of a 'moderate' post-COVID recovery, not Harris
Similarly, Harris suggested to CNN's Dana Bash on Thursday that Biden economics has done a “good job.” When asked why he hasn't yet taken steps to combat inflation, Harris responded, “Number one, we need to get our economy going, and we've done that.”
The claim that the economy was in need of a recovery when she took office is not true, as fact-checked by Breitbart News.
Before Kamala Harris and Joe Biden took office, the US economy was recovering rapidly from the pandemic and lockdowns. According to the Commerce Department, the economy grew at an annualized rate of 34.8% in the third quarter of 2020, 4.2% in the following quarter, and 5.2% in the first quarter of 2021.
The unemployment rate, which soared as businesses were ordered to close during the pandemic, has also fallen sharply. After hitting a high of 14.8% in April 2020, the rate was down to 6.4% by the time Harris became vice president.
WATCH — Harris: I didn't deliver on inflation promises because 'we had to recover'; we've done a 'good job'
