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CNN's Brian Stelter received a swift lesson in supply chain function and self-awareness over the weekend after he attempted to downplay the seriousness of the supply chain crisis.
Supply chain issues have plagued the United States for months. Backlogged ports and trucker shortages have resulted in empty shelves and have contributed to rising prices of goods across the nation in most industries.
The Biden administration has blamed the COVID-19 pandemic for the problems. Republicans, meanwhile, are blaming President Joe Biden and his administration's policies for exacerbating existing problems.
On Saturday, Stelter seemingly attempted to downplay the significance of the ongoing problem in a mocking tweet of a fake conversation and a photo of fully stocked milk shelves.
"'The supply chain!' she exclaims, looking for milk for 2-year-old," the tweet said. "'Look at this amazing, overflowing abundance,' he responds."
"The supply chain!" she exclaims, looking for milk for 2-year-old \n\n"Look at this amazing, overflowing abundance," he respondspic.twitter.com/g4haMj0VT2— Brian Stelter (@Brian Stelter) 1636817081
Stelter's mocking of the supply chain crisis triggered a raucous response.
Critics pointed out that dairy products like milk — and most food products, in fact — are not being impacted by the supply chain crisis because they are (mostly) domestically produced.
On the other hand, critics observed that Stelter's dismissive tone indicated how out of touch he is with average Americans. After all, for a man whose net worth is estimated to be as much as $10 million, why would he notice the impact of supply chain problems?
MSNBC senior correspondent Stephanie Ruhle claimed Americans need to put record-high inflation in "perspective." She essentially said Americans should stop complaining about rising prices because they have the money to cover the difference.