Mitt Romney took part in a Fourth of July parade in Amherst, New Hampshire and made a speech to volunteers on Monday, during which he claimed the Obama administration’s failures have deepened the recession and made the recovery slower.
“The recession is deeper because of our president; it’s seen an anemic recovery because of our president,” he told a passionate crowd of supporters. “The people who want the status quo can vote for him, but people who want real change and jobs for Americans are going to vote for us.”
Independent fact-checking organizations have disputed Romney’s claims during the early stages of his campaign trail, clarifying that economic growth resumed when President Obama took office and the recession came to an end six months after he was sworn in.
The Republican presidential hopeful, who defended his comments by saying they are based on a comparison between the current recovery and the one President Reagan faced in 1980s, has been accused of offering differing statements on the economy.
While he voiced his opinion that Obama deepened the recession during a debate and a visit to New Hampshire in June, he backtracked on his stance when he made a campaign stop in Pennsylvania by alleging, “I didn’t say things are worse.”