Fact check: Regardless- the Biden Administration redefined “recession”, tried to claim inflation was temporary, and incessantly lied about jobs, revising down every jobs report they ever released.

1. Summary of the results

The original statement makes three main claims that require separate examination:

• Regarding the "redefinition" of recession: Multiple sources conclusively show that the Biden administration did not actually redefine recession. Instead, they published a blog post discussing how recessions are determined using multiple economic indicators beyond GDP decline ^{[1] [1]}. The National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) has historically been the official authority on declaring recessions, using a holistic approach that predates the current administration ^{[2] [2]}.
• Regarding job reports: The claim about "incessant lies" in job reports is contradicted by evidence. While there was indeed a downward revision of 818,000 jobs, this was part of a routine annual statistical process conducted by civil servants using consistent methods ^[3]. Experts from across the political spectrum confirm there is "zero evidence" of intentional manipulation ^[4].
• Regarding inflation: Current economic indicators show 2.9% inflation as of December, with 2.8% GDP growth ^[5], suggesting the economy has stabilized significantly.

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

• The statement overlooks that economic data is inherently complex and subject to interpretation, as noted by Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick ^[5].
• The NBER's approach to determining recessions has consistently included multiple factors beyond GDP, including:
• Personal income
• Employment levels
• Consumer spending
• Industrial production ^[2]
• The administration's perspective characterizes the current economic situation as a "transition" period, pointing to job growth and low unemployment as positive indicators ^[6].

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

• The statement appears to mischaracterize routine statistical processes as political manipulation. The job report revisions are standard procedures conducted by career civil servants, not political appointees ^{[3] [4]}.
• The claim about "redefining recession" appears to stem from social media mischaracterizations of a White House blog post that simply explained existing economic metrics ^[2].
• Who benefits from these narratives:
• Political opponents benefit from portraying routine economic data adjustments as manipulation
• The administration benefits from emphasizing positive economic indicators like job growth and declining inflation
• Media outlets benefit from amplifying controversy around economic definitions and statistics, even when the underlying processes are routine and nonpartisan

The evidence suggests the original statement significantly oversimplifies complex economic processes and misrepresents standard statistical procedures as political manipulation.