Fox News contributor Jason Chaffetz faced widespread ridicule and skepticism after claiming on air that he had spent $90 on a Thanksgiving turkey. The remark, made during a segment on the high cost of living, sparked a social media firestorm, with many questioning the veracity of Chaffetz’s claim.
Chaffetz’s assertion came during a “special edition” of Hannity, hosted by Kayleigh McEnany. During a discussion about rising inflation, Chaffetz interjected, “This is Bidenomics live and in action! I mean, we went to go buy a turkey today. It was $90 for a turkey! It’s all a choice by Joe Biden. That is what Bidenomics is.”
Same vibes pic.twitter.com/h6elzFlFRe
— Adam Parkhomenko (@AdamParkhomenko) November 21, 2023
I know the discourse around this is fraught, but THIS is what happens when you let a man… named David Brooks be your InstaCart shopper. 🙂 https://t.co/RdTQ5zTv6s
— Elie Mystal (@ElieNYC) November 21, 2023
what kind of turkey is this mf buying? https://t.co/8w1sgD4seS
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) November 21, 2023
Related articles
The claim that a Thanksgiving turkey cost $90 immediately drew incredulous reactions online. Many Twitter users pointed out that the average price of a turkey was significantly lower than Chaffetz’s assertion, with some suggesting that he must have been referring to the entire country of Turkey, not the bird.
Democratic strategist Adam Parkhomenko compared Chaffetz’s claim to a similar incident involving New York Times columnist David Brooks, who in 2023 posted a photo of an airport meal and claimed it cost him $78. “This is why Americans think the economy is terrible,” Brooks had written at the time.
Others, like The Bulwark’s Bill Kristol, cited data from Fortune to challenge Chaffetz’s claim. “Turkey costs per pound fell to $1.25 in September 2023, down 43 cents from a year earlier, according to the most recent data available from the U.S. Department of Agriculture,” Kristol tweeted. “Unless the turkey he bought was 70 pounds, this turkey overpaid for his turkey.”
“Turkey costs per pound fell to $1.25 in September 2023, down 43 cents from a year earlier, according to the most recent data available from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.”
Unless the turkey he bought was 70 pounds, this turkey overpaid for his turkey. https://t.co/UcyFvMH9fI
— Bill Kristol (@BillKristol) November 21, 2023
Uh ..nope. pic.twitter.com/uZYhQr1I4i
— Victoria Brownworth (@VABVOX) November 21, 2023
Happy Thanksgiving!! 🦃🇺🇸🦃 pic.twitter.com/eTQb6sdotS
— Jason Chaffetz (@jasoninthehouse) November 21, 2023
In an attempt to defend his claim, Chaffetz posted a photo of the turkey he purchased, a nearly 23-pound “premium young turkey” from Meiers, which cost $114.02, even higher than his initial $90 figure. However, this did little to quell the skepticism, with Mediaite’s Colby Hall suggesting that Chaffetz must have bought a “bougie woke turkey,” given the packaging’s claim that the bird had been “thoughtfully raised on sustainable family farms.”
Dude bought a bougie woke turkey? smdh https://t.co/HdUWYcAuyf
— Colby Hall (@colbyhall) November 21, 2023
The incident highlights the challenges of using personal anecdotes as evidence of broader economic trends. While Chaffetz may have paid a higher-than-average price for his turkey, it does not necessarily reflect the overall market conditions for Thanksgiving turkeys. Moreover, the incident serves as a reminder of the importance of fact-checking and the need to be cautious when making claims about the cost of living.
Discussion about this post