On Monday, The Daily Wire reported that the Biden administration is still blaming Russian President Vladimir Putin for rising inflation and other economic woes plaguing America, despite evidence showing that costs were soaring before Russia ever invaded Ukraine. In response to the White House’s comments, Nicole Morales — a Republican National Committee spokesperson — slammed President Joe Biden while claiming that the American people aren’t buying his excuses for rising costs.
During Monday’s press briefing, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki indicated that the upcoming Consumer Price Index report would show “elevated inflation” for March, which she argued was caused by “Putin’s price hike.”
Via an email sent to The Daily Wire on Monday afternoon, Morales said, “Inflation has risen every month since Joe Biden took office.”
Indeed, NBC News recently reported that the inflation has skyrocketed under Biden’s watch, and it started happening long before a Russian soldier ever set foot in Ukraine in late February 2022:
Over the past year, which is closely aligned with Biden’s White House term, the Consumer Price Index has climbed rapidly.
In January 2021, it was 1.4 percent higher than it had been 12 months earlier. By July it was 5.4 percent higher than 12 months earlier. By December it was 7 percent. And in February, it was 7.9 percent higher.
Biden has also previously lamented that the American people believe that government spending is to blame for economic inflation. Yet, even the Associated Press admitted that Biden deserves some of the blame for the current economic crisis, thanks to policies like his massive COVID-19 relief package:
Biden last year signed a $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package known as the American Rescue Plan — and many economists say that caused inflation to run higher than it otherwise would. There are multiple sources for inflation including global supply chain issues, the pandemic, stimulus from the Federal Reserve and, now, the Russian war in Ukraine.
But the problem is that Biden pumped more money into the economy than it could handle. Administration officials said before the relief package was passed that the greater risk was do too little to help the economy than to do too much. The implicit risk was inflation, though the tradeoff was faster hiring and stronger growth. Biden got all three: the hiring, the growth and the inflation.
While it might be true that other factors, including Putin’s actions, as well as subsequent U.S. sanctions, have driven up costs somewhat, it does not make sense for the White House to blame Putin entirely for the rising prices that America has experienced over the past 14 months.
As pointed out by The New York Post Editorial Board in January 2022, “the prez and his party can no longer escape blame for the Bidenflation Tax, which hits poorer Americans hardest.”
As argued by The Post, Biden’s only “solution” to the ongoing problem has been spending more money. The Post claimed at the time that he should make more of an effort to get the government out of the economy:
Economists know several ways to stem inflation: cut government spending, raise interest rates, tighten the money supply. But Democrats need to stop doing the same thing over and over again — i.e., spending more money — and expecting different results. That’s the definition of insanity, unless they actually want more inflation.
Regardless of White House messaging and whether they blame greedy businesses, lack of government spending, or Putin, a recent poll from ABC News shows that the American people overwhelmingly disapprove of the way the president is handling inflation.
When asked, “Do you approve or disapprove of the way Joe Biden is handling [inflation]?” just 29% of the American people said they “approved” of the job he was doing. Sixty-nine percent said they disagreed.
In light of Biden’s apparent decision to shirk responsibility for inflation entirely, voters shouldn’t expect him to have a change of policy any time soon.
“The White House will continue to place blame on others and lie to hardworking Americans, but voters know Biden is to blame for higher prices,” Morales also added in the RNC’s comments to The Daily Wire.
The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.