The White House sparked outrage by claiming that July 4th barbecues would be cheaper this year despite inflation reaching its highest level in 13 years.

In a pun full of puns on Thursday, the White House tweeted that the Independence Day celebrations would be a bargain.

However, social media users were quick to point out that the savings promoted amounted to a paltry 16 cents, prompting accusations that the White House was offline.

“Are you planning a barbecue this year?” »The tweet read. ‘Ketchup on the news. According to the Farm Bureau, the cost of a July 4th barbecue is down from last year.

“It is a fact that you must hear (d). Hot dog, Biden’s economic plan is working. And it’s something we can all savor.

The tweet was accompanied by a GIF exposing the price change for some food items.

The cost of two pounds of ground beef is down eight percent from last year; the price of a pound of sliced ​​cheese and a 13-ounce bag of chips has both dropped 1%, and the cost of a half-gallon of vanilla ice cream has dropped 5% from to 2020.

Conservative critics criticized the post, saying it was unaware the White House was celebrating a small saving on certain foods when many Americans will have lost their pockets elsewhere due to the price hike.

Representative Elise Stefanik wrote: “Apparently no one at the Biden has been to the gas station recently. The average price of a gallon of gasoline is $ 3.15. This is the HIGHEST price for a gallon of gasoline since 2014 and an INCREASE of 42% over last year. ‘

“People love it when politicians tell them life is easier than they think,” Republican strategist John Ashbrook tweeted.

Former Republican National Committee official Liz Harrington wrote: “It reminds me of the passage in [George Orwell’s novel] 1984, where they celebrate the increase in the chocolate ration when it has actually been reduced by 10 grams. ‘

Other social media users agreed, writing: “Hey, we’re raising taxes, raising inflation, killing gas prices, cutting building materials, sending jobs overseas. BUT HOT QU ‘WHAT ABOUT THESE PORK AND BEANS OFFERS!’

’16 cents! Incredible work! Another commented.

“This is by far the most pathetic flex in the history of the world,” replied a third.

“I voted for Biden, but if you do it again, I warn you,” wrote one supporter.

“The Bidens administration is such a catastrophic failure that the White House is now publishing this. Let that sink in for a bit, ”another social media user commented.

“Do you hear, Millennials? You received an additional $ 0.16 this year. Why don’t you own any houses yet? Another user joked.

Meanwhile, a response from the Debt Collective spoofed the White House message to draw attention to their calls to write off student debt.

“Can you all have the courage to write off student debt.” We try to limit our payments, but a thousand (Icelandic) dollars a month is too much. Your inaction leaves a bad taste in our mouths, ”the group wrote.

Several critics noted that the savings tweet had soared in the face of recent reports from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) – which recently stated that the consumer price index for food purchases in the grocery stores and supermarkets were up 0.7% from May of last year.

The USDA also forecast that the prices of grocery stores and supermarkets would increase by two to three percent this year.

In addition, gas prices are on the rise – wiping out savings with rising gas prices.

The AAA reported Thursday night that the national average price of a gallon of regular gasoline rose to $ 3.12, the highest on Independence Day weekend since 2014.

‘Today, 89 [percent] US gas stations sell regular unleaded for $ 2.75 or more, ”AAA spokeswoman Jeanette McGee said in a statement.

“This is a big increase from July 4, when only a quarter of stations sold gasoline over $ 2.25.”

On Tuesday, gas stations across the country reported running out of gasoline as 43 million Americans prepared to hit the road for the July 4 bank holiday weekend.

Demand has swung since last summer as COVID-tired Americans hit the road, although current shortages are caused by a lack of truckers available to deliver fuel.

Prices are also up 42% from a year ago, when the pandemic caused gas prices to drop following a huge drop in demand.

Currently, the outages are not concentrated in one location with stations operating dry in the Pacific Northwest, northern California, Colorado and Iowa, as well as Indianapolis and Columbus, in the ‘Ohio.

While driver shortage is a problem throughout the trucking industry, special qualifications are needed to operate a tank of gas, and finding new drivers is no easy task.

The pandemic has seen a number of tanker drivers retire and others have moved to other trucking jobs after demand for gasoline has plummeted so suddenly.

National Tank Truck Carriers estimates that 20 to 25% of tank trucks across the country are currently parked.

The White House tweet also came as a deadly heat wave gripped the Pacific Northwest.

More than 230 people have died in four days in Canada and 220,000 people continue to face power outages in Oregon and Washington as temperatures surpass a record 121 degrees.

The National Weather Service said although the extreme heat wave in the northwest has reached its peak, dangerous temperatures are expected to persist through the end of the week.

Excessive heat warnings remain in place for 12 million people in parts of Oregon, Washington State, northern Great Basin and northern Idaho, as well as parts of the northwest from Nevada and northern California.

Officials say a dozen deaths in Washington and Oregon could be linked to the intense heat that began late last week.

Historically scorching temperatures are the result of a high-pressure jet known as a “heat dome,” which essentially traps hot weather in place.

Meanwhile, the east coast also faces high temperatures, reaching the mid-90s throughout the mid-Atlantic and northeast. Record temperatures have been recorded in New England.

Northern California firefighters are also working to tackle a “lava fire” caused by lightning – the smoke of which could help reduce heat in the area, experts said.