NC Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson uses photo of pro-‘Bidenomics’ company to attack ‘Bidenomics’

Republican North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson tweeted an attack on President Joe Biden’s economic policies on Tuesday, falsely claiming they were to blame for rising consumer prices. But the photo Robinson used to illustrate his tweet showed him speaking to strong advocates for one of Biden’s key economic programs, the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

Robinson, who is seeking his party’s 2024 nomination for governor, tried to pin higher consumer costs on Biden and North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein, a leading Democratic candidate for governor, writing: “I know the challenges our families are facing in North Carolina, rising prices across the board caused by Bidenomics. North Carolinians deserve a leader who’s been in those tough spots, not another elitist politician who will be a mouthpiece for the failed Biden/Stein agenda.”

The photo with the tweet showed Robinson speaking in April 2022 at the asphalt paving equipment manufacturer LeeBoy’s factory in Lincolnton, North Carolina. His appearance there was hosted by the Association of Equipment Manufacturers as part of their “I Make America” national lobbying campaign.

After the event, Robinson thanked LeeBoy and the trade group in a Facebook post:

While touring the LeeBoy facility and production lines and speaking with employees, I was reminded of my own time spent working in the manufacturing industry. I believe we need more jobs like these in NC, and am proud to offer my support for the equipment manufacturing industry, which currently provides more than 13,800 jobs for hard working North Carolinians. The conversations I had with employees touched on the need for more skilled workers, supply chain constraints, and other challenges faced by industry in North Carolina.

Both LeeBoy and the Association of Equipment Manufacturers supported Biden’s bipartisan infrastructure package, which included $550 billion in new investments in transportation, water systems, electrical grid, and broadband infrastructure. About $7.8 billion of that funding over five years will go to North Carolina for its bridges and highways, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation, while $920 million will go to improving the state’s public transportation systems.

In 2021, LeeBoy repeatedly used its Facebook feed to encourage people to go to the Association of Equipment Manufacturers’ website to take action in support of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

In a November 2022 press release on its website, the association said: “In a year fraught with many triumphs and challenges, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has given the equipment manufacturing industry (and countless other industries) many reasons to celebrate. AEM was a leading advocate in getting this critically important bill across the finish line, and we are continuing to work with the White House and other leaders to implement the bill.” It noted, “AEM has been a key player in the development and implementation of the infrastructure law.”

Robinson has framed himself as a supporter of infrastructure investments.

“Robust infrastructure is the backbone of economic growth,” he tweeted on July 23. “Let’s invest in our state’s future with quality infrastructure, from rural broadband access to safe and wide roadways.”

A Robinson spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment for this story.

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the Inflation Reduction Act, and the CHIPS and Science Act make up the core of “Bidenomics.” Harvard University economist Jason Furman, who chaired the Council of Economic Advisers under President Barack Obama, told the Associated Press in August that the three laws have significantly boosted private economic investment.

“It does look like all three bills are catalyzing a lot of activity in a sort of larger and more rapid way than I would have expected,” Furman told the news outlet. “This feels to me the biggest thing that’s happened to the half century.”

Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.