The Capitol Gridlock on Instagram: "In New York City, United States, Newsmax host Rob Finnerty presents detailed economic graphs on national television to analyze cumulative inflation trends between political administrations. He demonstrates how inflation rates rose sharply during Joe Biden's term compared to Donald Trump's presidential tenure. This segment directly engages with core Republican political messaging regarding fiscal responsibility, energy policy, and national economic health. The presenter further highlights specific price reductions in consumer goods like eggs, used cars, and airfare under conservative economic proposals. He argues that Biden's administration temporarily lowered gas prices by tapping into the Strategic Petroleum Reserve for political momentum prior to the midterms. These data points serve as key talking points within US conservative politics to advocate for free-market solutions and deregulation. Finally, the broadcast refutes mainstream media claims surrounding the economic impact of tariffs proposed by Donald Trump. By highlighting deflationary trends in multiple key consumer sectors, the host defends conservative policy solutions as effective tools for long-term price stability. This detailed breakdown reinforces Republican perspectives on governance, economic policy, and federal spending controls across the country. #TrumpEconomy #BidenInflation #NewsMax #ConservativeNews #USPolitics"
Verdict: Mostly accurate on broad inflation trends, but it mixes in selective framing and some unsupported political claims.
Credibility score: 66/100 · 7 claims checked · 6 accurate, 1 misleading, 0 false, 0 unsupported.
Instagram · Rob Finnerty / Newsmax · Unknown · Aug 24, 2026
The clip correctly cites large post-2019 inflation and a major SPR drawdown, but it overstates causation, cherry-picks price drops, and makes some claims that lack clear evidence.
Claim-by-claim breakdown
- Accurate (78% confidence): U.S. consumer prices have risen by about 30% since January 2019, so a dollar from then is worth roughly 70 cents now. BLS CPI-U was 251.712 in Jan. 2019 and 325.252 in Jan. 2026, or about 29.2% higher; by Jul. 2026 it was 333.918, about 32.6% higher.
- Accurate (84% confidence): Inflation during Joe Biden's presidency was about 22%. BLS CPI-U rose from 261.582 in Jan. 2021 to 317.671 in Jan. 2025, a gain of about 21.4% to 21.8% depending on month selection.
- Accurate (74% confidence): President Biden used releases from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to help lower gas prices before the 2022 midterm elections. DOE/EIA record that the SPR fell sharply during 2022 after emergency releases, and the inventory hit 405 million barrels in Oct. 2022, the lowest since 1984 at that time.
- Accurate (71% confidence): The Strategic Petroleum Reserve is intended for emergencies or wartime use. Official DOE/EIA descriptions say the SPR is a national emergency stockpile used in severe supply disruptions.
- Accurate (67% confidence): The SPR inventory fell from roughly 650 million barrels to about 350 million barrels. EIA reported the SPR at 405 million barrels in Oct. 2022 after large releases, and EIA data show it near 346.8 million barrels in July 2023; pre-release inventory was about 638 million barrels.
- Accurate (69% confidence): The clip's claim that Trump's tariffs caused the inflation surge is wrong because that inflation happened before those tariffs. The major U.S. inflation surge began in 2021-2024, while the transcript blames later tariff proposals; prior inflation cannot be caused by later tariffs.
- Misleading (73% confidence): Prices in several sectors such as eggs, hotel rates, used cars, gasoline, airfare, and prescription drugs were all down under Trump. BLS inflation tables show mixed category movements; for example, in July 2026 used cars were up that month while prescription drugs were down, and airline fares were up month over month. The clip presents a selective snapshot as a general…
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