Reality Check: Joe Teirab ad slams Angie Craig

By Pat Kessler
MINNEAPOLIS — A campaign ad from Republican congressional candidate Joe Teirab is making waves in Minnesota’s 2nd District race. 
That ad blames Democratic Representative Angie Craig for a series of problems from inflation to corruption — but is it true?
As the former Marine and federal prosecutor is jogging, he links three-term Democrat Angie Craig to skyrocketing inflation — and much more — with the number 20% projected on a building wall.
“Career politicians like Angie Craig are killing the American Dream,” Teirab says in the ad. “Skyrocketing inflation, open borders, insider deals and corruption.”
The 20% inflation claim is a whopper and it needs context.
U.S. inflation did not hit 20%, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. It did reach a painful 9.1% one month in 2022 following the pandemic. It is now 2.5%.
Consumer prices did climb about 20% in the last four years compared to around 8% under former President Trump.
In the ad, Teirab calls Craig a career politician.
“Now, I’m running for Congress because career politicians like Angie Craig,” he says in the ad.
Craig is not a career politician by almost any definition. She has served six years in Congress. Before that, she was a longtime business executive in Minnesota.
“Open borders” is a derogatory political phrase aimed at Democrats.
It is not a policy and it is false to say Craig is in favor of no security measures at the border.
Illegal border crossings are a serious problem and Craig has voted with Republicans for tougher enforcement.
The Teirab ad also links Craig to “insider deals” and “corruption.” 
Craig has never been accused of either and it is false to suggest that she has.