FLASHBACK: Biden blamed food shortages under Trump in 2020 on 'lack of leadership'

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The Story w/ Martha MacCallum - Thursday, October 14

On today’s episode of ‘The Story’, Trace Gallagher tackles the major supply chain bottleneck in southern California. Plus, Alex Murdaugh arrested for alleged fraud.

President Joe Biden is being slammed on social media for clips circulating online from the 2020 campaign trail in which he blamed food shortages on failed leadership from then-President Donald Trump.

"We don't have a food shortage problem — we have a leadership problem," then-candidate Biden said in May of 2020 during a virtual town hall while blaming Trump for food shortages during the coronavirus lockdowns.

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"We have plenty of food," Biden added. "It's being plowed under. You've got-- you're euthanizing cattle and pigs. They're out there making sure that they're pouring thousands of gallons of milk into the ground. It's not a food shortage. It's a lack of leadership-- a lack of leadership."

Biden added that if he were president at the time he would have "ordered the government to buy food from farmers and send it to food banks" and that Trump "failed to step up" by not doing that. 

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"I'd harness the restaurant industry to help get food to those who need it and help get millions of laid off workers back to work and the job...this is not rocket science. It's leadership."

Social media users have criticized Biden over the resurfaced remarks as inflation surged its highest in 13 while food prices for basic commodities soared and bare shelves have become more and more prevalent.

"Who knew Joe Biden could predict in 2020 what would happen in 2021?" one Twitter user wrote while another sarcastically posted, "This aged well."

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The Twitter hashtag #EmptyShelvesJoe was trending on Twitter Thursday as supply chain issues have forced the Biden administration to admit that it "cannot guarantee" Americans will receive their Christmas packages on time.

"Just went food shopping…again…thanks #EmptyShelvesJoe I really love having to go every day now in order to find what used to take one trip," one Twitter user wrote along with the hashtag and a photo of near-empty shelves at a grocery store.

Supply chain disruptions have hindered efforts to bolster the U.S. economy during the COVID-19 pandemic. Key raw materials needed for construction and components such as semiconductors are in short supply, while a labor shortage has contributed to a shipping logjam at major ports. 

Several major companies have noted higher logistics-related costs and disruptions to their normal operations. The issues have also impacted consumers in the form of empty shelves and higher prices, prompting fears that lower spending will slow the economic recovery.

Food prices jumped 0.9% last month and are now up 4.6% annually, according to the index. The price for meats, poultry, fish and eggs soared 10.5% this year, with beef prices climbing a whopping 17.6%. Fruits and vegetables rose by 3%. 

For Americans earning the median annual income of about $70,000, inflation has forced them to spend an extra $175 a month on food, gas and housing, the New York Post reported last week, citing Mark Zandi, the chief economist at Moody’s Analytics. 

Earlier this week, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said that the supply chain "challenges" were "inevitable."

Fox News' Talia Kaplan and Thomas Barrabi contributed to this report