White House deletes tweet flagged by Twitter that credited Biden for Social Security payment increase
The tweet came down without explanation from the White House
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The White House on Wednesday deleted a tweet that credited "President Biden’s leadership" for the increase in Social Security payments, which was flagged by Twitter as something that was actually caused by a 40-year high in inflation.
"Seniors are getting the biggest increase in their Social Security checks in 10 years through President Biden's leadership," the White House tweeted Tuesday.
The White House tweet was accompanied by a note from Twitter that said many readers were adding "context" to the WH message that said the rise in Social Security payments was "due to the annual cost of living adjustment, which is based on the inflation rate."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}BIDEN SAYS HE ‘SPOKE TO’ MAN WHO ‘INVENTED’ INSULIN, WHO DIED BEFORE PRESIDENT WAS BORN
The White House credited President Biden, not inflation, for the rise in Social Security payments in a tweet this week. (Getty Images)
Twitter adds "context" notes when they are rated highly enough by Twitter users, a point that Twitter’s new owner, Elon Musk, stressed Wednesday morning.
"The community notes feature is awesome. Our goal is to make Twitter the most accurate source of information on Earth, without regard to political affiliation," Musk said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Elon Musk praised Twitter's "community notes" feature that was used to dismiss a White House claim about Social Security benefits. (FOX)
Soon after the tweet was taken down, a White House official told Fox News Digital that the decision was made because "the point was incomplete." For a more complete explanation, that official referred Fox to a mid-October statement from White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre that said Social Security checks will rise as Medicare premiums fall, which means "seniors will have a chance to get ahead of inflation."
Jean-Pierre reiterated that point at the White House briefing by saying, "the tweet was not complete."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Social Security benefits will rise by 8.7% next year, which is the largest cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) since 1981. The Social Security Administration calculates COLA based on the increase in the Consumer Price Index from the third quarter of 2021 to third quarter 2022.
President Biden's White House took down a tweet Wednesday that said his "leadership" helped boost Social Security payments. (The Image Direct for Fox News Digital)
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While the tweet was deleted, the White House Twitter account automatically archives all account activity, in compliance with federal laws about keeping public records. That means the deleted tweet will still be archived.