Dean Baker

Dean Baker

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CEPR co-founder; macro policy, jobs, inflation

Trump Unaware Gas Prices Have Surpassed $4 Per Gallon
SocialMar 31, 2026

Trump Unaware Gas Prices Have Surpassed $4 Per Gallon

I wonder if Trump will ever find out that gas prices crossed $4.00 a gallon https://t.co/BZjCIh8l7U

By Dean Baker
JD Vance's Fraud Task Force: Fighting or Fueling Fraud?
SocialMar 30, 2026

JD Vance's Fraud Task Force: Fighting or Fueling Fraud?

Can someone tell me if JD Vance's fraud task force is supposed to be fighting fraud or promoting it?

By Dean Baker
Trump Blames NATO for Abandoning US After 9/11
SocialMar 28, 2026

Trump Blames NATO for Abandoning US After 9/11

Pretty pathetic that the Department of State is too cowardly to correct this obvious misstatement. The one time Article 5 (mutual self-defense) was invoked was after September 11th.

By Dean Baker
Duffy Should Prioritize Transport Safety over War Propaganda
SocialMar 28, 2026

Duffy Should Prioritize Transport Safety over War Propaganda

Maybe Secretary of Transportation Duffy should spend less time doing war propaganda and more time on making transportation safe https://t.co/56qGkElLy2

By Dean Baker
Questioning Trump's Awareness of Current Gas Prices
SocialMar 27, 2026

Questioning Trump's Awareness of Current Gas Prices

why would Trump have an idea what people are paying for a gallon of gas?

By Dean Baker
Trump Appears Confused About Whether to Raise or Lower Prices
SocialMar 26, 2026

Trump Appears Confused About Whether to Raise or Lower Prices

Old man Trump can't remember whether he was supposed to bring prices down or up https://t.co/1NEJ3Ji5fF

By Dean Baker
Oil's Percentage Rise Varies by Currency Unit
SocialMar 26, 2026

Oil's Percentage Rise Varies by Currency Unit

Intro econ for NYT reporters, oil was priced in yen it would be going up more in percentage terms in yen than it is going up in percentage terms in dollars. The unit is just a convention https://t.co/zCOwmbyJQv

By Dean Baker
Import Prices Up 2.5% YoY Amid Trump Tariffs
SocialMar 25, 2026

Import Prices Up 2.5% YoY Amid Trump Tariffs

Looks like exporters forgot to eat Trump's tariffs, import prices rose 1.1% in February and 2.5% year-over-year https://t.co/3UkarMgRx7

By Dean Baker
Factory Construction Falls 15% Despite Trump's $18T Promise
SocialMar 25, 2026

Factory Construction Falls 15% Despite Trump's $18T Promise

Factory construction was down 15% over the last year, even before adjusting for inflation https://t.co/YNFjjiLWfV Reality hasn't heard about Trump's $18 trillion in investment coming into the country. Trump always says, "no one has seen anything like it," which is...

By Dean Baker
Fox News Pays $787M for 2020 Election Lies
SocialMar 24, 2026

Fox News Pays $787M for 2020 Election Lies

always remember, Fox News paid out $787 million for spreading lies about the 2020 election.

By Dean Baker
Free Market Could Make Ozempic Affordable for Millions
SocialMar 24, 2026

Free Market Could Make Ozempic Affordable for Millions

The free market (no government-granted patent monopolies) will make Ozempic affordable for tens of millions of people https://t.co/SYl5M82mux

By Dean Baker
US Would Replenish Israel's Bomb Supplies, Exposing Double Standards
SocialMar 22, 2026

US Would Replenish Israel's Bomb Supplies, Exposing Double Standards

If Israel were doing this it would get resupplied by the United States for the bombs it used.

By Dean Baker
Hegseth's $200B Iran War Request Dwarfs ACA Subsidies
SocialMar 21, 2026

Hegseth's $200B Iran War Request Dwarfs ACA Subsidies

We can think of Hegseth's $200 billion supplemental military request for his Iran war as the cost to taxpayers of pulling out of the agreement on nuclear weapons negotiated by Obama

By Dean Baker
Trump’s Claim: Iran Missiles Neutralized—Reality Says Otherwise
SocialMar 21, 2026

Trump’s Claim: Iran Missiles Neutralized—Reality Says Otherwise

Don't worry, Trump said the U.S. knocked pout 100% of Iran's missile capabilities. Are you calling Trump a liar?

By Dean Baker
Trump Boasts Complete Elimination of Iran's Missiles
SocialMar 21, 2026

Trump Boasts Complete Elimination of Iran's Missiles

It's especially impressive since Trump told us that we had eliminated 100% of Iran's missiles

By Dean Baker
Calling Lithium “Essential” Is Misguided Media Narrative
SocialMar 18, 2026

Calling Lithium “Essential” Is Misguided Media Narrative

It's common for the media to refer to lithium as an essential mineral for batteries. This is Trumpian ignorance https://t.co/db4KuTm6Sk

By Dean Baker
US Blocks Cuban Oil Shipments, Keeps Rubio in Dark
SocialMar 17, 2026

US Blocks Cuban Oil Shipments, Keeps Rubio in Dark

No one told Rubio that the United States is blocking oil shipments to Cuba. Trump wants to keep in the dark on this.

By Dean Baker
Iran's Hormuz Blockade Catches White House Off Guard
SocialMar 15, 2026

Iran's Hormuz Blockade Catches White House Off Guard

As they said at the White House, "who could have imagined Iran would block the Straits of Hormuz?"

By Dean Baker
BLS and BEA Typically Announce Changes Well Ahead
SocialMar 15, 2026

BLS and BEA Typically Announce Changes Well Ahead

BLS always tries to publicize these changes well in advance. I don't follow BEA as closely, but I assumed they did the same.

By Dean Baker
Iran's Surrender Renders Hormuz Escort Missions Unnecessary
SocialMar 15, 2026

Iran's Surrender Renders Hormuz Escort Missions Unnecessary

Since Iran is in the process of surrendering, I guess there is no point in the UK, France, or anyone else making plans to escort ships through the Straihts of Hormuz

By Dean Baker
Fast‑food Spending Drops 3% Since September.
SocialMar 13, 2026

Fast‑food Spending Drops 3% Since September.

My quick measure of affordability, real spending at fast-food restaurants, is down 3% since September https://t.co/Ge3YaPH3PU

By Dean Baker
Trump's Factory Bragging Clashes with Plummeting Construction Data
SocialMar 13, 2026

Trump's Factory Bragging Clashes with Plummeting Construction Data

With Trump boasting about new factories everywhere, he would feel really stupid if he ever saw the data showing factory construction plummeting https://t.co/1T5VGrJqyn

By Dean Baker
Healthcare Spending Jumps 7.9%—Outpacing Inflation
SocialMar 13, 2026

Healthcare Spending Jumps 7.9%—Outpacing Inflation

Spending on healthcare services is up 7.9% year over year, far higher than the inflation rate reported in the CPI https://t.co/Mt0STaWkJz

By Dean Baker
Break Arrives When Vance Stops Filling Big Shoes
SocialMar 13, 2026

Break Arrives When Vance Stops Filling Big Shoes

We'll know the break has come when Vance stops trying to fill the big shoes.

By Dean Baker
Hegseth’s “Lethality” Comment Actually Meant Plane Collisions
SocialMar 13, 2026

Hegseth’s “Lethality” Comment Actually Meant Plane Collisions

Who knew that when Hegseth was talking about lethality he meant our planes crashing into each other?

By Dean Baker
Elon Musk and Dogecoin’s Empty, False Claims Exposed
SocialMar 12, 2026

Elon Musk and Dogecoin’s Empty, False Claims Exposed

I remember Elon Musk and DOGE lying their asses off and coming up completely empty on these absurd claims, don’t you?

By Dean Baker
Bombing Could Give Trump a Face‑saving Exit
SocialMar 12, 2026

Bombing Could Give Trump a Face‑saving Exit

Hanoi took over the whole country 3 years after the peace deal. So your point is that more bombing could give Trump cover for pulling out without losing face? Interesting idea....

By Dean Baker
Global Oil Prices Affect U.S. Consumers, Regardless of Policy
SocialMar 12, 2026

Global Oil Prices Affect U.S. Consumers, Regardless of Policy

There also is a world market for oil. When oil prices go up in Europe and Asia, people here pay more. Even a Trump-Energy Secretary should know this.

By Dean Baker
South Korea, Japan, Taiwan Should Doubt Trump's Promises
SocialMar 11, 2026

South Korea, Japan, Taiwan Should Doubt Trump's Promises

On the plus side, hopefully South Korea, along with Japan., and Taiwan, will know that a commitment from Donald Trump isn't worth shit and plan accordingly

By Dean Baker
Taxing Stock Returns Could End Corporate Tax Avoidance
SocialMar 9, 2026

Taxing Stock Returns Could End Corporate Tax Avoidance

It's actually easy to design mechanisms for killing corporate tax avoidance schemes, if anyone actually cared. Just tax stock returns https://t.co/mpVe5FLf7C

By Dean Baker
U.S. Pays More for Oil Despite Domestic Production
SocialMar 9, 2026

U.S. Pays More for Oil Despite Domestic Production

U.S. consumers are hit harder by rising oil prices than Europeans because we use more oil. The fact we produce it here doesn't help consumers, unless we tax the oil industry https://t.co/DZQmvyBSMk

By Dean Baker
Native‑born Job Gains Minimal Amid Massive Overall Growth
SocialMar 9, 2026

Native‑born Job Gains Minimal Amid Massive Overall Growth

we're up just 150k for native-born workers over the last year https://t.co/eUQjDMCvxT The growth in employment was 1.5 million 2024 to 2025, but we know Trumpers are scared of numbers

By Dean Baker
S&P Drops 5% This Year, Trump Claims Credit
SocialMar 9, 2026

S&P Drops 5% This Year, Trump Claims Credit

S&P is down almost 5% this year https://t.co/jJ8zHsWyLU No one thought it could be done, but Donald Trump did it!

By Dean Baker
Media Soft-Pedal Trump to Avoid Appearing Dementia‑Abusive
SocialMar 8, 2026

Media Soft-Pedal Trump to Avoid Appearing Dementia‑Abusive

The media treat Trump wth kid gloves because they don't want to seen as abusing someone suffering from dementia.

By Dean Baker
Trump Supporters Should Blame Jobs Decline on Weather
SocialMar 7, 2026

Trump Supporters Should Blame Jobs Decline on Weather

If the Trumpers were smart, they would blame the bad jobs numbers on the weather https://t.co/iTCQe8K3EY

By Dean Baker
Inflation Measurement Flaws Favor Trump over Biden
SocialMar 6, 2026

Inflation Measurement Flaws Favor Trump over Biden

There are measurement issues, and they go both ways. But what is really important for this lying hunk of shit is that whatever problems raise the measured rate of inflation now were also there UNDER Biden. Which means Trump got...

By Dean Baker
Rising Health Benefits Are Shrinking Wage Growth
SocialMar 5, 2026

Rising Health Benefits Are Shrinking Wage Growth

Sorry, this is misleading to the point of being dishonest. Benefits are roughly 20% of compensation. You're saying if benefits costs didn't rise at all, wages could increase more, but benefit increases have actually lagged pay in the last year...

By Dean Baker
Factory Construction Down 13%—Trump Misreads the Data
SocialFeb 27, 2026

Factory Construction Down 13%—Trump Misreads the Data

Trump has to stop reading charts upside down. Factory construction is down around 13% after adjusting for inflation. https://t.co/YNFjjiLWfV That's only a boom in Trump's skull.

By Dean Baker
Ernst Vows to Cover Iowa’s $2.55 Price Gap
SocialFeb 25, 2026

Ernst Vows to Cover Iowa’s $2.55 Price Gap

$2.55 Iowa average https://t.co/qKoxDrbRtX, but Senator Ernst promises to make up the difference compared to what you'll pay

By Dean Baker
Trump Proposes Tariffs to Shift Tax Burden Onto Middle Class
SocialFeb 25, 2026

Trump Proposes Tariffs to Shift Tax Burden Onto Middle Class

Trump says he wants to lower taxes on the rich and raise them on middle and working class

By Dean Baker