MILTON FRIEDMAN ISN’T RUNNING THE SHOW ANYMORE: Biden Press Secretary Caught in Two More Big Lies on Inflation.
Today’s a day that ends in y, so White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki is gaslighting the public again. This time, President Biden’s top spokesperson was attempting to explain away surging 8.5% inflation—a major political liability for this administration—when she made the dishonest mishaps.
“Depending which data you look at, two-thirds to 70% of inflation data is the result of energy prices,” Psaki claimed during a Monday briefing. “A large part of that is the result of… President Putin’s invasion of Ukraine and the impact on the global energy markets.”
This part of Psaki’s speech is just straight-up false.
For one thing, inflation remains at 6.5% even when gas prices are factored out entirely. So, the 70% number she keeps parroting is simply not accurate. And while Putin’s horrific invasion of Ukraine has indeed disrupted global energy markets and led to higher gas prices over the last few months, gas prices were already rising over the last year—and inflation more broadly began all the way back in May 2021.
The press secretary went on to conclude that because today’s inflation is supposedly driven by Putin’s invasion, “I don’t think anybody could have predicted it a year ago.”
This is the most ridiculous part of Psaki’s entire remarks.
Meanwhile, the Big Guy, whose party controls all three branches of the Federal Government, is blaming the out-of-power party for inflation: Biden calls inflation his top domestic priority, blaming Republicans for lacking a plan.
President Joe Biden sought Tuesday to ease fears over inflation, arguing that tackling rising prices is his top domestic priority and accusing Republicans of having no plan to offer Americans relief.
“They don’t want to solve inflation by lowering your costs,” Biden said in remarks at the White House. “They want to solve it by raising your taxes and lowering your income.”
Yes, modern-day Republicans are notorious middle class tax-raisers. But I’m so old, I can remember a pre-Trunalimunumaprzure Biden declaring to his supporters that paying higher taxes is “patriotic.”
(Classical reference in headline.)