Just hours after newly released economic numbers showed inflation hit a 40-year high in February, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki took to the briefing room and fielded questions from reporters.
"Today’s inflation report is a reminder that Americans' budgets are being stretched by price increases and families are starting to feel the impacts of Putin’s price hike. A large contributor to inflation this month was an increase in gas and energy prices as markets reacted to Putin’s aggressive actions," Biden said about the 7.9 percent jump in the Consumer Price Index. "As I have said from the start, there will be costs at home as we impose crippling sanctions in response to Putin’s unprovoked war, but Americans can know this: the costs we are imposing on Putin and his cronies are far more devastating than the costs we are facing."
During an exchange with Fox News correspondent Peter Doocy, Psaki was asked about Biden's shifting blame game on inflation. Doocy noted that the Biden administration blamed January's inflation numbers on the Wuhan coronavirus pandemic but today, President Joe Biden's statement blamed Russian President Vladimir Putin.
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DOOCY: "Are you guys going to start blaming Putin for everything until the midterms? [...] Last month, the statement didn't mention the Putin Price Hike. It mentioned inflation because of the pandemic." pic.twitter.com/30z1JyxsnL
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) March 10, 2022
But Americans aren't buying the argument. Neither are former Obama admninistration officials.
Well, no. These are Feb #'s and only include small Russia effect. This is Biden's inflation and he needs to own it. https://t.co/WsJjn6picV
— Steven Rattner (@SteveRattner) March 10, 2022
Even CNN is scrutinizing the claim.
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