Larry Summers, the former president of Harvard University and Treasury Secretary under President Bill Clinton, announced he would step back from public engagements to “rebuild trust and repair relationships” following the release of extensive correspondence between him and the late convicted sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein.
The statement, published by <a href="https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2025/11/13/summers-epstein-messages/">The Harvard Crimson</a>, follows the U.S. House Oversight Committee’s disclosure of seven years of emails showing regular contact between Summers and Epstein through mid‑2019, shortly before Epstein’s arrest on sex trafficking charges. The newly released 20,000 pages of documents depict a close personal and professional rapport. Summers confided in Epstein about his romantic life — referring to one woman as a “mentee”— and received advice Epstein jokingly signed as his “wing man.”
In some 2017 messages, Summers made controversial remarks about women’s intelligence, echoing past statements that contributed to his 2006 resignation as Harvard’s president. The correspondence also reveals that Epstein volunteered to fund up to $500,000 for Poetry in America, an educational project run by Summers’ wife, Harvard English professor emerita Elisa New. The financier had previously donated $110,000 to New’s nonprofit in 2016.
Summers expressed remorse in his statement, calling his continued contact with Epstein a “major error of judgment.” He wrote that he was “deeply ashamed” and accepted full responsibility for his “misguided decision to continue communicating” with the convicted sex offender. Despite stepping back from public appearances, Summers will <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/larry-summers-steps-public-roles-house-release-epstein-correspondence" target="_blank" rel="noopener">retain </a>his faculty role at Harvard as University Professor and director of the Mossavar‑Rahmani Center for Business and Government. He will also remain on the board of OpenAI and continue writing for Bloomberg News, though his spokesman confirmed he will scale back other professional commitments.
The correspondence has reignited longstanding scrutiny surrounding Summers’ ties to Epstein, who had donated millions to Harvard during Summers’ presidency and remained in contact with him after his 2008 conviction. Earlier reports, including those from The Wall Street Journal, had shown that Summers asked Epstein for fundraising assistance for News’ projects. The newly public messages now provide the most detailed glimpse into how Epstein could have maintained influence within Harvard’s orbit years after the school claimed to have severed ties.
Reaction has been swift. A senior Trump administration official <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/11/17/trump-official-larry-summers-breakup-00655279?utm_source=chatgpt.com">called</a> on institutions to sever ties with Summers, questioning why he remains in prominent academic and corporate roles. Comparisons were made to the British government’s dismissal of Ambassador Peter Mandelson over similar Epstein links.
Bloomberg, OpenAI, and Harvard declined to comment.

President Emeritus At Harvard University Lawrence Summers Interview

Ex-Harvard President Retreats From Public Life After Epstein Correspondence Revealed

Celebrities

Harvard Univeristy

Jeffrey Epstein

Larry Summers

U.S.

President Donald Trump believes Democrats are reviving attention on Jeffrey Epstein to distract from the party’s recent government shutdown failure. Now, the president is directing his own focus toward Epstein, calling out prominent Democrats who had ties to the convicted sex offender.
Trump directed the Department of Justice on Friday to investigate Epstein&#8217;s connections to a list of powerful Democrats, including former President Bill Clinton, former U.S. Treasury Secretary and Harvard President Larry Summers, and venture capitalist Reid Hoffman. Trump compared the Democratic Party&#8217;s focus on Epstein to the Russian collusion investigation during his first administration, arguing that all the &#8220;arrows&#8221; are &#8220;pointing to the Democrats.&#8221;
&#8220;Now that the Democrats are using the Epstein Hoax, involving Democrats, not Republicans, to try and deflect from their disastrous SHUTDOWN, and all of their other failures, I will be asking A.G. Pam Bondi, and the Department of Justice, together with our great patriots at the FBI, to investigate Jeffrey Epstein’s involvement and relationship with Bill Clinton, Larry Summers, Reid Hoffman, J.P. Morgan, Chase, and many other people and institutions, to determine what was going on with them, and him,&#8221; Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115548785919046772">wrote</a> on Truth Social.
&#8220;Records show that these men, and many others, spent large portions of their life with Epstein, and on his &#8216;Island.&#8217; Stay tuned!!!&#8221; Trump added.
Trump&#8217;s directive comes two days after Democrats <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dems-drop-new-epstein-emails-in-which-he-claims-trump-knew-about-the-girls">released</a> multiple Epstein emails, including correspondence in which the pedophile claimed that Trump &#8220;knew about the girls&#8221; and “spent hours” at Epstein’s home with one of the sexual abuser&#8217;s victims. The House GOP Oversight Committee released an additional 20,000 pages of documents on Wednesday, and the White House <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-responds-to-epstein-emails-dropped-by-dems-says-its-an-attempt-to-deflect-from-shutdown">said</a> that the contents further confirm that Trump did not take part in Epstein&#8217;s sex crimes.
“The Democrats selectively leaked emails to the liberal media to create a fake narrative to smear President Trump. The ‘unnamed victim’ referenced in these emails is the late Virginia Giuffre, who repeatedly said President Trump was not involved in any wrongdoing whatsoever and ‘couldn’t have been friendlier’ to her in their limited interactions,” said White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt.
Trump also <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-responds-to-epstein-emails-dropped-by-dems-says-its-an-attempt-to-deflect-from-shutdown">responded</a> to the Epstein email dump, saying on Wednesday that &#8220;Democrats are trying to bring up the Jeffrey Epstein Hoax again because they’ll do anything at all to deflect on how badly they’ve done on the Shutdown.&#8221; He added, &#8220;Only a very bad, or stupid, Republican would fall into that trap.&#8221;
Clinton&#8217;s association with Epstein is well documented, but — like Trump — the former president has not been accused of any wrongdoing related to Epstein&#8217;s crimes. Clinton traveled across the world with Epstein numerous times, with flight records indicating that the former president was on Epstein&#8217;s infamous “Lolita Express,” the airplane on which Epstein is accused of using to sex traffic underage girls. In 2002, Clinton was also <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/news/fact-check-2002-pic-epstein-195200112.html">pictured</a> getting a massage from one of Epstein&#8217;s accusers, then-22-year-old Chauntae Davies. Davies accused Epstein of raping her multiple times over the course of four years. She did not accuse Clinton of any wrongdoing.
Summers also had a good relationship with Epstein, as did financial power player Hoffman. None of those men has been publicly accused by any of the women who were victimized by Epstein. Summers and Epstein communicated regularly throughout the years, and the latest Epstein email dump revealed that Summers <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/12/us/politics/epstein-larry-summers.html">asked</a> Epstein for advice about a relationship with a woman after Epstein had pleaded guilty to state-level prostitution charges.
Hoffman <a href="https://www.axios.com/2019/09/12/reid-hoffman-jeffrey-epstein-mit-donations">admitted</a> in 2019 that his relationship with Epstein and his agreement to participate in a fundraising event alongside him &#8220;helped to repair [Epstein&#8217;s] reputation and perpetuate injustice.&#8221;
&#8220;For this, I am deeply regretful,&#8221; Hoffman added.
J.P. Morgan Chase, one of the world&#8217;s largest banks, has faced scrutiny after <a href="https://docs.house.gov/meetings/JU/JU00/20250917/118612/HHRG-119-JU00-20250917-SD055-U55.pdf">processing and handling</a> more than $1 billion for Epstein over the course of 15 years. JPMorgan agreed to a $290 million settlement with Epstein&#8217;s victims in 2023 after it was accused of ignoring red flags about Epstein&#8217;s sex trafficking.

Trump/Clinton/Epstein

Trump Unleashes DOJ To Investigate Epstein’s Democrat Friends

Bill Clinton

Crime

Donald Trump

Executive

JP Morgan

Politics

Reid Hoffman

Democrat economist <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/larry-summers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Larry Summers</a>, who repeatedly warned President Joe Biden in 2021 that his reckless government spending would lead to a serious inflation crisis, warned again this week that things have not improved and inflation is running much higher than the official government numbers state.
Summers&#8217; warning comes after Biden&#8217;s economy took a gut punch on Wednesday when a hotter-than-expected inflation report was released, showing a 3.5% increase over the last 12 months — the highest year-over-year increase since last September.
According to the latest <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/04/10/markets/markets-fall-cpi-inflation-report/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Consumer Price Index data</a> — which was released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics — key drivers of the higher rates include car insurance, groceries, electricity, and gas. New parents and pet owners are feeling the pinch as well, with baby food now up over 30% since 2021 and pet food up 23.7%.
The higher-than-expected inflation numbers come just a day after Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen claimed that overall household finances were “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/sec-yellen-econ-splains-to-average-americans-your-finances-are-fine-everything-is-fine" target="_blank" rel="noopener">quite strong</a>” — and may put a sizable kink in any plans to begin bringing interest rates back down.
&#8220;I was not hugely surprised by the numbers,&#8221; Summers said when asked during a Bloomberg News interview on Wednesday what he thought about the latest inflation numbers. &#8220;In an economy that&#8217;s growing faster than potential, with an unemployment rate that has a three handle in the presence of massive and growing budget deficits and epically easy financial conditions, the idea that inflation would remain robust, or even accelerate, should not be a surprise to anyone.&#8221;
Summers said that inflation is actually running higher than the 3.5% number that the Biden administration released.
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&#8220;It was not me or some outside observer who emphasized the concept of super core inflation — that is taking out the transitory stuff and also taking out housing — and by that measure, inflation is running at above a 6% rate,&#8221; he said. &#8220;And the three month rate exceeds the six month rate and the six month rate exceeds the one year rate.&#8221;
Summers warned that interest rates are likely to climb even higher now — making it harder for Americans to buy homes and cars — and that &#8220;markets could crash.&#8221;
&#8220;This confirms the idea that the neutral rate is way above the 2.6% level that the Fed has been using as a North Star,&#8221; Summers said. &#8220;In my view puts back on the table, it is still not what I would expect, but you have to take seriously the possibility that the next rate move will be upwards rather than downwards. And anything could happen, markets could crash, the indicators could turn down. But on current facts, a rate cut in June, it seems to me would be a dangerous and egregious error comparable to the errors the Fed was making in the summer of 2021 when it just didn&#8217;t get the threat on inflation.&#8221;
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/LHSummers?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@lhsummers</a>, former US Treasury Secretary and Wall Street Week contributor, says he&#8217;s not surprised inflation rose again in March, but he says an interest rate cut in June by the Federal Reserve would be dangerous <a href="https://t.co/VVbO71W83N">https://t.co/VVbO71W83N</a> <a href="https://t.co/enjnKsEm5Z">pic.twitter.com/enjnKsEm5Z</a>
— Bloomberg TV (@BloombergTV) <a href="https://twitter.com/BloombergTV/status/1778105927066915298?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 10, 2024</a></blockquote>
Summers warned last year that the trend for inflation rates under Biden closely match the inflation rates during President Jimmy Carter&#8217;s administration and that America may not have seen the worst of inflation yet.
&#8220;It is sobering to recall that the shape of the past decade’s inflation curve almost perfectly shadows its path from 1966 to 1976 before it accelerated in the late 1970s,&#8221; Summers wrote in a post on X that included a graph showing how inflation under Biden has mirrored inflation under Carter.
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It is sobering to recall that the shape of the past decade’s inflation curve almost perfectly shadows its path from 1966 to 1976 before it accelerated in the late 1970s. <a href="https://t.co/UpEk7x6FQt">https://t.co/UpEk7x6FQt</a> <a href="https://t.co/q9PwBRKzxN">pic.twitter.com/q9PwBRKzxN</a>
&mdash; Lawrence H. Summers (@LHSummers) <a href="https://twitter.com/LHSummers/status/1695045318524440688?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 25, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Virginia Kruta contributed to this report.

Obama Senior Economic Advisor Lawrence Summers Interview

Democrat Economist Who Warned Biden Of Inflation In 2021 Sounds Alarm Again: ‘Markets Could Crash’

Economy

Inflation

Joe Biden

Harvard professors Larry Summers and Jason Furman laid into several campus groups over an explicitly anti-Israel statement released just after Hamas terrorists launched <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-says-at-least-11-americans-killed-in-hamas-attack-on-israel" target="_blank" rel="noopener">devastating attacks</a> on Israel over the weekend, during which they kidnapped, tortured, and killed hundreds of Israeli civilians.
The joint statement took direct aim at Israel in the first line: &#8220;We, the undersigned student organizations, hold the Israeli regime entirely responsible for all unfolding violence.&#8221;
The letter glossed over Hamas&#8217; unprovoked attacks and focused solely on what they called &#8220;retaliation&#8221; that was sure to come from Israel in the days and weeks to come.
&#8220;Today, the Palestinian ordeal enters into uncharted territory. The coming days will require a firm stand against colonial retaliation. We call on the Harvard community to take action to stop the ongoing annihilation of Palestinians,&#8221; the statement concluded.
Summers responded to the statement with horror and disbelief, saying, &#8220;In nearly 50 years of @Harvard affiliation, I have never been as disillusioned and alienated as I am today. The silence from Harvard’s leadership, so far, coupled with a vocal and widely reported student groups&#8217; statement blaming Israel solely, has allowed Harvard to appear at best neutral towards acts of terror against the Jewish state of Israel.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
In nearly 50 years of <a href="https://twitter.com/Harvard?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Harvard</a> affiliation, I have never been as disillusioned and alienated as I am today.
— Lawrence H. Summers (@LHSummers) <a href="https://twitter.com/LHSummers/status/1711421307227607255?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 9, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The silence from Harvard’s leadership, so far, coupled with a vocal and widely reported student groups&#8217; statement blaming Israel solely, has allowed Harvard to appear at best neutral towards acts of terror against the Jewish state of Israel.
— Lawrence H. Summers (@LHSummers) <a href="https://twitter.com/LHSummers/status/1711421309358420140?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 9, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Summers went on to note that Harvard&#8217;s leadership had not been shy about voicing support for Ukraine — or about decrying police violence in the aftermath of George Floyd&#8217;s death in 2020 — but that they had stood silent in the face of the ongoing massacre of Israelis even as multiple student groups were openly siding with Hamas terrorists.
&#8220;I am sickened,&#8221; he said of the joint statement. &#8220;I cannot fathom the Administration&#8217;s failure to disassociate the University and condemn this statement. I very much hope appropriate statements from the University and College condemning those who launched terrorist attacks and standing in solidarity with its victims will soon be forthcoming.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Instead, Harvard is being defined by the morally unconscionable statement apparently coming from two dozen student groups blaming all the violence on Israel. I am sickened. I cannot fathom the Administration’s failure to disassociate the University and condemn this statement.
— Lawrence H. Summers (@LHSummers) <a href="https://twitter.com/LHSummers/status/1711421315377177080?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 9, 2023</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
I very much hope appropriate statements from the University and College condemning those who launched terrorist attacks and standing in solidarity with its victims will soon be forthcoming.
— Lawrence H. Summers (@LHSummers) <a href="https://twitter.com/LHSummers/status/1711421317612777935?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 9, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Summers concluded by saying that there was nothing wrong with questioning Israeli policy, but there was a big difference between that and a failure to condemn terrorism for what it was.
Summers was joined in spirit by fellow Harvard professor Jason Furman, who said that while he typically tried to stay in his own lane and avoid making &#8220;<a href="https://twitter.com/jasonfurman/status/1711549450936607123" target="_blank" rel="noopener">public statements,</a>&#8221; he felt compelled to address the anti-Israel statement coming from campus groups.
&#8220;It is getting global attention and the sentiments it expresses are egregious. Blaming the victims for the slaughter of hundreds of civilians. Absolving the perpetrators of any agency. This is morally ignorant and painful for other members of the community,&#8221; he said, adding, &#8220;I deeply hope — and from my experience believe — that this statement does not speak for most students. Maybe not even most students in these groups — possibly a quick first impression before the full scale of the horror perpetrated by Hamas became clear.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
It is getting global attention and the sentiments it expresses are egregious. Blaming the victims for the slaughter of hundreds of civilians. Absolving the perpetrators of any agency. This is morally ignorant and painful for other members of the community.
— Jason Furman (@jasonfurman) <a href="https://twitter.com/jasonfurman/status/1711549452287103198?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 10, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
I deeply hope&#8211;and from my experience believe&#8211;that this statement does not speak for most students. Maybe not even most students in these groups&#8211;possibly a quick first impression before the full scale of the horror perpetrated by Hamas became clear.
— Jason Furman (@jasonfurman) <a href="https://twitter.com/jasonfurman/status/1711549453511831698?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 10, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Furman went on to share at least <a href="https://twitter.com/jasonfurman/status/1711549454711451735" target="_blank" rel="noopener">one comment</a> from a graduate student who was a member of several of the undersigned groups and was angry that such sentiments were being published in her name.
He then shared a statement from University President Claudine Gay and suggested that it didn&#8217;t go nearly far enough, adding, &#8220;Our President Claudine Gay &amp; school leaders have asked us to &#8216;foster &#8230; an environment of dialogue &amp; empathy, appealing to one another’s thoughtfulness &amp; goodwill.&#8217; I hope to help. Acknowledging that killing hundreds of innocents is wrong should be an easy place to start,&#8221; he said.
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The student groups that signed on to the joint statement were: African American Resistance Organization, Amnesty International at Harvard, Bengali Association of Students at Harvard College, Harvard Act on a Dream, Harvard Arab Medical and Dental Student Association, Harvard Chan Muslim Student Association, Harvard Chan Students for Health Equity and Justice in Palestine, Harvard College Pakistan Student Association, Harvard Divinity School Muslim Association, Harvard Middle Eastern and North African Law Student Association, Harvard Graduate School of Education Islamic Society, Harvard Graduate Students for Palestine, Harvard Islamic Society, Harvard Law School Justice for Palestine, Harvard Divinity School Students for Justice in Palestine, Harvard Jews for Liberation, Harvard Kennedy School Bangladesh Caucus, Harvard Kennedy School Muslim Caucus, Harvard Kennedy School Muslim Women’s Caucus, Harvard Kennedy School Palestine Caucus, Harvard Kennedy School South Asia Caucus Leadership, Harvard Muslim Law School Association, Harvard Pakistan Forum, Harvard Prison Divest Coalition, Harvard South Asian Law Students Association, Harvard South Asians for Forward-Thinking Advocacy and Research, Harvard TPS Coalition, Harvard Undergraduate Arab Women&#8217;s Collective, Harvard Undergraduate Ghungroo, Harvard Undergraduate Muslim Women’s Medical Alliance, Harvard Undergraduate Nepali Students Association, Harvard Undergraduate Palestine Solidarity Committee, Middle East and North African Graduate School of Design Student Society, Neighbor Program Cambridge, Sikhs and Companions of Harvard Undergraduates, and Society of Arab Students.

FOX Business Network’s Maria Bartiromo Interviews Former Treasury Secretary & White House Economic Advisor Larry Summers

Harvard Profs Unload On Campus Groups Over Anti-Israel Statement

Education

Hamas

Harvard

Harvard University

Israel

Palestinians

Former Treasury Secretary and National Economic Council director <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/larry-summers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lawrence Summers</a> warned on Tuesday that the United States still has a “serious inflation problem.”
The Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 8.3% between August 2021 and August 2022, according to a <a href="https://www.bls.gov/news.release/cpi.nr0.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> released on Tuesday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The reading marks a decline from the 8.5% year-over-year rate seen in July and the 9.1% year-over-year rate seen in June as gasoline <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/inflation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">prices</a> continue to fall, although month-over-month prices for food, shelter, and medical services continued to tick upward.
Indeed, core inflation — the price level increase for all items except for food and energy — rose by 0.6% in August, marking a faster rate of increase than July and producing a 6.3% year-over-year rate. Analysts were expecting the measure to rise 0.3%.
“Core inflation is higher this month than for the quarter, higher this quarter than last quarter, higher this half of the year than the previous one, and higher last year than the previous one,” Summers commented on social media.
Summers remarked that median inflation — an alternative metric of core inflation favored by those who once said inflation was “transitory” — rose to “its highest ever reading.” Indeed, median inflation rose from 6.3% in July 2022 to 6.7% in August 2022, according to <a href="https://www.clevelandfed.org/en/our-research/indicators-and-data/median-cpi.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener">data</a> from the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland.
Among other officials, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen once argued that rising price levels were a temporary result of demand increases that followed widespread government lockdowns. Yellen <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/janet-yellen-admits-she-was-wrong-about-inflation-being-small-risk" target="_blank" rel="noopener">admitted</a> earlier this year, however, that she was incorrect about transitory inflation.
&#8220;I think I was wrong then about the path that inflation would take,” Yellen said during an interview with CNN. “As I mentioned, there have been unanticipated and large shocks to the economy that have boosted energy and food prices and supply bottlenecks that have affected our economy&#8230; But we recognize that now.”
Despite the poor inflation news, President Joe Biden claimed victory on Tuesday in the “essentially flat” headline figures. “It will take more time and resolve to bring inflation down, which is why we passed the Inflation Reduction Act to lower the cost of healthcare, prescription drugs and energy,” he said in a <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/09/13/statement-of-president-joe-biden-on-consumer-price-index-in-september/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a>. “And my economic plan is showing that, as we bring prices down, we are creating good paying jobs and bringing manufacturing back to America.”
Meanwhile, Summers said that the odds of inflation falling to 2% — the official long-term target of the Federal Reserve — without unemployment spiking above 4.5% is “highly implausible,” while even interest rates above 4% would be insufficient to restore normal price level increases.
The unemployment rate <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/unemployment-rate-edges-upward-for-the-first-time-in-months-as-more-americans-return-to-work" target="_blank" rel="noopener">increased</a> for the first time in months to 3.7% in August 2022, even as more Americans returned to work, according to <a href="https://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.nr0.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">data</a> from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. As inflation remains elevated, Powell and other policymakers still intend to bring inflation to historical levels.
“Price stability is the responsibility of the Federal Reserve and serves as the bedrock of our economy,” Powell recently <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jerome-powell-vows-to-restore-price-stability-even-though-federal-reserve-must-first-bring-some-pain" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> at the central bank’s annual symposium in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. “Without price stability, the economy does not work for anyone. In particular, without price stability, we will not achieve a sustained period of strong labor market conditions that benefit all. The burdens of high inflation fall heaviest on those who are least able to bear them.”

Former U.S. Treasury Secretary Larry Summers

‘A Serious Inflation Problem’: Top Obama Economist Sounds The Alarm Over Prices As White House Celebrates

Top Obama Economist Says Inflation Is Still A Serious Problem

Biden Administration

Daily Wire Editor Emeritus <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/ben-shapiro">Ben Shapiro</a> bashed the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/biden-administration">Biden administration</a> on Friday for publicly chastising people skeptical of his <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-biden-announces-details-of-student-loan-cancellation-plan">plan to unilaterally forgive</a> student debt.
President Joe Biden’s plan, announced Wednesday, would forgive up to $10,000 in federal student loan debt for borrowers who make under $125,000 a year — and up to $20,000 for some low-income borrowers. But as many remain skeptical, the Biden administration has taken to accusing GOP lawmakers who took out Paycheck Protection Program loans — which were designed to keep businesses afloat during forced government shutdowns and be forgiven — of hypocrisy.
“Many businesses took that money. They took that money not out of greed, but because the government had shut down their businesses,” Shapiro said. “They took that money because the government was begging these businesses to keep their employees afloat.”
“This is morally reprehensible; it&#8217;s disgusting,” said Shapiro in a monologue Friday. “If you are a business owner who just wants to operate and keep your employees employed, the government will shut you down, they&#8217;ll destroy you financially, they&#8217;ll promise you help, and then two years later, they&#8217;ll destroy you reputationally. They’ll tell you that you’re a good person for ensuring your employees can support their families, and then two years later, they&#8217;ll use that as leverage to force you to support their politically driven plan to bail out their favored political constituencies.”
Biden’s plan has also been criticized in mainstream Democratic circles, including the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/wapo-editorial-board-slams-biden-for-inflationary-regressive-ill-conceived-student-loan-cancelation">Washington Post’s editorial board</a> and former Treasury Secretary <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/top-democrat-economists-blast-bidens-student-loan-bailout-pours-gasoline-on-the-inflationary-fire">Lawrence Summers</a>. Last year, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pelosi-shoots-down-schumers-student-debt-plea-to-biden-he-does-not-have-that-power">House Speaker Nancy Pelosi</a> (D-CA) was also skeptical of unilateral plans to cancel student loans, explaining to reporters that Biden didn’t have that kind of power.
Nixing $10,000 of student loan debt per borrower would cost $298 billion in 2022 and a total of $329 billion by 2031 if the policy is renewed each year, according to a nonpartisan <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bidens-student-loan-cancellation-would-cost-330-billion-and-largely-help-the-wealthy">analysis</a> from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School. A report from the <a href="https://www.brookings.edu/research/student-loan-forgiveness-is-regressive-whether-measured-by-income-education-or-wealth/">Brookings Institution</a> observed that one-third of student debt is owed by the wealthiest 20% of households, while only 8% is owned by the bottom 20% — likely because graduate degrees are <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/schumer-slams-fat-cats-who-dont-want-to-cancel-student-loans">often necessary</a> for the most lucrative professions.
“Democrats believe that everyone should be able to follow their passion on your dime. And so they are happy to slander you as a deadbeat for being responsible, while praising deadbeats for following their dream to become a professional finger painter. You’re the bad guy. After all, you’re the one who pays the bills. And only suckers pay their bills.”
Shapiro also noted that Biden doesn’t seem to want a legal reason for debt forgiveness, just as he didn’t need a legal excuse for past unconstitutional actions.
“Just like he didn’t need an actual legal excuse to use the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to cram down vaccine mandates on 80 million Americans before he was stopped by the Supreme Court. Just like he didn’t need an actual legal excuse to use the CDC to cram down eviction moratoria before he was stopped by the Supreme Court.”
“If you own a business, they hate you. If you paid your student loans, they hate you. If you are a responsible member of the free market economy, they hate you,” Shapiro said.
<iframe loading="lazy" title="They Hate You, and They’re Taking Your Money" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/PhQCi6xRiSc?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Ben Shapiro

‘Morally Reprehensible’: Ben Shapiro Bashes Biden Admin For Attacking Business Owners Who Criticized Student Loan Bailout

Ben Shapiro Bashes Biden For Going After Business Owners Criticizing Admin's Student Loan Bailout

Nancy Pelosi

Paycheck Protection Program (PPP)

Student Loan Cancellation

Former Treasury Secretary and National Economic Council director <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/larry-summers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lawrence Summers</a> warned on Monday that a plan from President <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/biden-administration" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Joe Biden</a> to cancel thousands of dollars in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/student-loans" target="_blank" rel="noopener">student loans</a> per borrower could worsen runaway <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/colleges" target="_blank" rel="noopener">college</a> tuition costs.
White House officials are leaning toward a student debt cancellation of $10,000 for each borrower earning under $125,000, according to a report from <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/22/politics/student-loan-white-house/index.html">CNN</a>. The decision looms as the White House also deliberates <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nationwide-pause-on-student-loan-debt-set-to-expire-biden-officials-expected-to-update-borrowers-soon">whether to extend</a> the present moratorium on federal student loan payments, which is currently slated to expire on August 31.
Summers, a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/top-obama-economist-delivers-stark-warning-about-what-is-happening-with-inflation">frequent skeptic</a> of the Biden economic agenda despite his own left-wing leanings, <a href="https://twitter.com/LHSummers/status/1561701542591356931">commented</a> on social media that the potential loan cancellation, if “unreasonably generous,” could contribute to higher levels of inflation and more colleges hiking their prices.
“Every dollar spent on student loan relief is a dollar that could have gone to support those who don’t get the opportunity to go to college,” Summers explained. “Student loan debt relief is spending that raises demand and increases inflation. It consumes resources that could be better used helping those who did not, for whatever reason, have the chance to attend college. It will also tend to be inflationary by raising tuitions.”
Average private university tuition is currently $43,775, and average in-state public university tuition is $11,631, according to data from <a href="https://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/paying-for-college/articles/2017-09-20/see-20-years-of-tuition-growth-at-national-universities">U.S. News and World Report</a>.
Data also imply that student loan cancellation fails to aid poorer Americans. A report from the <a href="https://www.brookings.edu/research/student-loan-forgiveness-is-regressive-whether-measured-by-income-education-or-wealth/">Brookings Institution</a> shows that one-third of student debt is owed by the wealthiest 20% of households, while only 8% is owned by the bottom 20% — partly because graduate degree programs are <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/schumer-slams-fat-cats-who-dont-want-to-cancel-student-loans">often necessary</a> for the highest-paying professions.
“The worst idea would be a continuation of the current moratorium that benefits among others highly paid surgeons, lawyers and investment bankers,” Summers noted. “If relief is to be given it should not set any precedent, it should only be given for the first few thousand dollars of debt, and for those with genuinely middle class incomes.”
Leading Democrats have debated for the past two years about possibilities for one-time loan cancellation efforts. Beyond the Biden administration’s <a href="https://medium.com/@JoeBiden/joe-biden-outlines-new-steps-to-ease-economic-burden-on-working-people-e3e121037322">campaign promise</a> to remove $10,000 in debt per borrower, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/this-cpac-footage-is-nuts-progressives-blast-pelosi-for-saying-student-debt-forgiveness-is-a-bad-idea">argued</a> that “all President Biden has to do is flick his pen” and erase up to $50,000 per borrower, with no need for legislative action.
Yet a report from the <a href="https://dailycaller.com/2022/07/12/dems-biden-student-loans-forgiveness/">Daily Caller News Foundation</a> shows that 13 Democratic members of Congress who have supported some type of federal student loan cancellation policy <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/democrats-who-want-to-cancel-student-debt-owe-large-amounts-themselves-report-shows">reported</a> a total of $1.5 million in loans, as indicated by financial disclosures.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) owes up to $50,000, according to the disclosures, and said at the end of last year that she owes $17,000. “I’m 32 years old now,” the lawmaker <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pay-your-own-darn-bills-aoc-who-makes-174000-per-year-blasted-for-complaining-about-17k-in-student-loans">remarked</a>. “I have over $17,000 in student loan debt, and I didn’t go to graduate school because I knew that getting another degree would drown me in debt that I would never be able to surpass. This is unacceptable.”
Ahead of any national plan for student loan cancellation, the Biden administration’s Department of Education has nixed debt for students who attended defunct for-profit universities, including <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bidens-education-department-releases-plan-to-cancel-student-debt-for-certain-people">Corinthian Colleges</a> and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-administration-cancels-4-billion-in-itt-tech-student-loans">ITT Technical Institute</a>.

‘Raises Demand And Increases Inflation’: Obama’s Top Economist Shreds Biden Plan For Student Loan Cancellation

Obama Economist Outlines Problems With Biden Student Debt Cancellation Plan

College

Student Loans

Former Treasury Secretary and Obama economic adviser <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/larry-summers">Larry Summers</a> defended Democrats’ new economic package in a discussion with Sen. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/joe-manchin">Joe Manchin</a> (D-WV) days before Manchin <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/joe-manchin-revives-bidens-agenda-agrees-to-democrat-package-of-tax-increases-and-climate-spending">reversed</a> course and agreed to the bill, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/us-policy/2022/07/27/manchin-says-he-has-reached-deal-with-democrats-economy-climate-bill/">according</a> to a report from The Washington Post.
If it passes, the new spending package would be the largest legislative climate investment the U.S. has ever made at $369 billion. The bill would also raise taxes on billion-dollar businesses and extend Affordable Care Act subsidies.
Summers was reportedly beckoned by Democratic senators earlier this week to assure Manchin that the spending package would not result in more inflation.
“The two men spoke this week, and Manchin listened as Summers talked in detail about why Democrats’ proposed economic package — including its energy provisions — would not lead to higher prices,” the Post reported.
Summers, who has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-claims-top-democrat-economist-larry-summers-is-not-worried-about-inflation-he-is">repeatedly warned</a> the Biden administration about inflation over the past year, <a href="https://www.politico.com/newsletters/playbook/2022/07/28/manchin-breathes-new-life-into-biden-agenda-00048415">told</a> Politico last week that he disagreed with Manchin’s concern about Democrats’ tax increases adding to inflation.
“I think the theory that all tax increases are inflationary is not a plausible or reasonable economic theory,” Summers said on Politico’s “Playbook Deep Dive” podcast. “To suggest that it is inflationary is, I think, just wrong in the same way that it was just wrong to suggest that in the short run, investing in infrastructure would somehow be deflationary.”
On Wednesday, Manchin appeared convinced that the bill, dubbed the “Inflation Reduction Act of 2022,” would not add to the country’s rising prices. He claimed that reconciling with Democrats on the package would help the country fight inflation.
Manchin’s reversal comes after he <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/democrat-senator-throws-another-wrench-into-bidens-agenda-biden-is-not-pleased">shot down</a> Democrat attempts at pushing through Biden’s agenda in recent weeks, and reportedly told Democratic leaders he would “unequivocally” refuse to support legislation related to climate change and tax increases.
“We must be honest about the economic reality America now faces if we want to avoid fanning the flames of inflation,” Manchin said in a statement Wednesday. “At its core, the purpose of reconciliation is to get our economic and financial house in order. Contrary to foolish talk otherwise, America cannot spend its way out of debt or out of inflation.”
Manchin’s agreement to the package he touts as an inflation-fighting bill came a day before the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/u-s-in-a-recession-after-second-straight-quarter-of-negative-growth">released</a> GDP numbers for the last quarter, showing that the country is in a recession.
Democrats will use the budget reconciliation process to bypass the Senate filibuster and advance the bill along party lines, potentially giving the party a much-needed legislative victory before a midterm election where Democrats are expected to face a “red wave.”
The bill still needs to leap at least one hurdle before it stands a chance at reaching President Joe Biden’s desk as Democrats need to convince Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), who has voiced opposition to elements of Biden’s spending agenda. Axios <a href="https://www.axios.com/2022/07/28/sinema-manchin-deal-senate-democrats">reported</a> that hours after Manchin’s surprise reversal, a spokesperson for Sinema said the Arizona senator did not have a comment on the bill because “she will need to review the text.”

Joe Manchin

Former Top Obama Economic Adviser Talked Up Dem Package With Joe Manchin Days Before Senator’s Surprising Reversal: Report

Larry Summers Discussed Dem Package With Manchin Before Senator's Surprising Reversal: Report

Barack Obama

Democratic Party

U.S. Senate

Former Obama administration economic adviser <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/larry-summers">Larry Summers</a> warned Sunday that all precedents in the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/economy">economy</a> are pointing to a recession happening in the next two years. 
Summers, appearing on “<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/meet-the-press/video/fmr-treasury-secretary-larry-summers-says-recession-likely-by-end-of-next-year-142416965792">Meet The Press</a>,” told NBC News host Chuck Todd that “a whole range of indicators” — including markets, relative levels of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/interest-rates">interest rates</a> at different durations, consumer expectations, and supply and demand — are pointing toward a recession, which is defined as two consecutive quarters of negative economic growth. 
“All of that tells me that, while I wouldn’t presume whether to judge the timing, the dominant probability would be by the end of next year we will be seeing a recession in the American economy,” said Summers, who also served as treasury secretary in the 1990s. He also said that this perspective had become the common view among a number of statistical models and forecasters. 
Noting economic precedents, Summers said in a different <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-04-14/podcast-summers-predicts-a-u-s-recession-more-likely-than-a-soft-landing?srnd=premium">Bloomberg</a> interview, “If you look at history, there has never been a moment when inflation was above 4% and unemployment was below 5% when we did not have a recession within the next two years.”  
The Biden administration, for its part, has been acknowledging the challenge of the economy but has also echoed in lock-step that an economic downturn isn’t inevitable. Department of Energy Secretary <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/jennifer-granholm">Jennifer Granholm</a> and Department of Treasury Secretary <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/yellen-recession-not-inevitable-russias-war-to-blame-for-soaring-inflation">Janet Yellen</a> both spoke to this point on Sunday morning news shows, as well. 
“I expect the economy to slow,” Yellen told George Stephanopolous on ABC News. “It’s been growing at a very rapid rate, as the economy, as the labor market, has recovered. We have reached full employment. It’s natural now that we expect a transition to steady and stable growth, but I don’t think a recession is at all inevitable.”
According to a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/new-survey-reveals-when-ceos-expect-a-recession-to-hit">Conference Board survey</a> of 750 CEOs released on Friday, a majority of top company execs foresee a recession in the next 12 to 18 months. A small minority, 15%, said in the same survey that the region in which their company operates is already in a recession. In a National Association of Manufacturers Survey, nearly <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/majority-of-manufacturers-predict-recession-within-the-next-year">6 in 10 business leaders</a> indicated that a recession was more likely in the next year due to inflationary pressures. 
President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a> himself has suggested Vladimir Putin is partly responsible for rising costs and accused businesses of price gouging. On Thursday, in an interview with the Associated Press, Biden encouraged Americans to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-claims-recession-not-inevitable-tells-americans-they-shouldnt-believe-economist-warnings">wait and see</a> whether economists were correct about their recession predictions. 
“They shouldn’t believe a warning. They should just say: ‘Let’s see. Let’s see, which is correct.’ And from my perspective, you talked about a recession. First of all, it’s not inevitable,” said Biden.

Top Obama Economic Advisor: ‘Whole Range Of Indicators’ Point To Coming Recession

Larry Summers Says 'Range Of Indicators' Point To Recession In Next Two Years

Department of the Treasury

Janet Yellen

Recession

Former Treasury Secretary and Harvard professor Larry Summers said there is &#8220;certainly a risk&#8221; of a recession in the next year.
Appearing as a guest on CNN&#8217;s &#8220;State of the Union&#8221; Sunday, Summers, who served as Treasury Secretary under former President Bill Clinton and Director of the National Economic Council under Barack Obama, said that because inflation continues to surge and consumer sentiment continues to crater, there is a high likelihood of a recession within the next two years.
&#8220;[Current Treasury] Secretary [Janet] Yellen&#8230; said this week, &#8216;there is nothing to suggest a recession is in the works,'&#8221; Bash began. &#8220;Do you agree with that?&#8221; she asked.
&#8220;No, I don’t,&#8221; Summers said flatly.
&#8220;You think a recession is in the works?&#8221; Bash followed up.
&#8220;I think when inflation is as high as it is right now, and unemployment is as low as it is right now, it’s almost always been followed within two years by [recession],&#8221; Summers responded. &#8220;I look at what’s happening in the stock and bond markets, I look at where consumer sentiment is. I think there is certainly a risk of recession in the next year. And I think given where we’ve gotten to, it’s more likely than not that we’ll have a recession within the next two years. That is something we can manage. We’ve had them for the whole history of the country. We need to be prepared and to respond quickly if and when it happens, but I think the optimists were wrong a year ago in saying we’d have no inflation. And I think they’re wrong now, if anyone’s highly confident that we’re going to avoid recession.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
&#8220;It&#8217;s more likely than not we&#8217;ll have a recession within the next two years.&#8221;
Former Treasury Secretary <a href="https://twitter.com/LHSummers?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LHSummers</a> tells <a href="https://twitter.com/DanaBashCNN?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DanaBashCNN</a> why he disagrees with current Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen&#8217;s projection that a recession is not on the horizon. <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSotu?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CNNSotu</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CNNSOTU?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CNNSOTU</a> <a href="https://t.co/gzrR3B6TBy">pic.twitter.com/gzrR3B6TBy</a>
— CNN (@CNN) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNN/status/1535989161517367296?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 12, 2022</a></blockquote>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2f69w4yGh4">Yellen</a> made the comments earlier this week at a policy forum in Washington, D.C., in response to a tweet from rapper <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/even-cardi-misses-trumponomics-cardi-b-wants-to-know-when-they-will-announce-the-recession">Cardi B</a> that asked, “[w]hen y’all think they going to announce that we going into a recession?”
“Don’t look to me to announce it,” Yellen said. “I’m not going to announce it. I don’t think we’re going to have a recession.&#8221;
“We have a very strong economy. I know people are very upset — and rightfully so — about inflation. But there’s nothing to suggest&#8230;that a recession is in the works,” she added.
Meanwhile, inflation <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/inflation-reaches-8-6-setting-new-four-decade-high">soared 8.6%</a> annually in May, breaking yet another 40-year high, while the University of Michigan&#8217;s <a href="http://www.sca.isr.umich.edu/">Consumer Sentiment Index</a> fell to 50.4, a 14% decline and the lowest number on record.

Former Treasury Sec, Harvard Professor: ‘Certainly A Risk Of Recession In The Next Year’

Former Treasury Secretary: 'Certainly A Risk Of Recession In The Next Year'

Dana Bash

Larry Summers, who served as Treasury Secretary under former President Bill Clinton and director of the National Economic Council under former President Barack Obama, warned in an interview this week that the U.S. is moving toward &#8220;higher entrenched inflation.&#8221;
&#8220;I think the data flow is saying what I&#8217;ve thought for quite some time that, yes, there are transitory elements in inflation, and very likely they will recede, but we are basically moving towards higher entrenched inflation,&#8221; Summers said. &#8220;It&#8217;s there in expectations, it&#8217;s there in wages, it&#8217;s there in labor shortages, it&#8217;s there in the pervasive pattern across many different prices.&#8221;
&#8220;And people try to excuse it by picking this figure and that figure from month to month, but we&#8217;ve got an overheated economy, and the Fed&#8217;s gonna have a very real challenge of cooling that economy off and doing it in a controlled way,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;That has not been done very successfully in the past. So it&#8217;s going to be a very challenging year for macroeconomic policy.&#8221;
When asked if top White House officials were right in saying that the inflation problem was a result of &#8220;a supply side problem,&#8221; Summers responded, &#8220;No, he&#8217;s wrong.&#8221;
&#8220;We have a massive, overheated labor market,&#8221; Summers continued. &#8220;We have the highest ratio of vacancies to unemployment in the country&#8217;s history, by a large margin. We have shortages of labor, in everything from psychotherapy, to McDonalds, in everything from investment analysts to gardeners, that suggests a surfeit of purchasing power and demand relative to the capacity of the economy to produce and unless we bring those things into balance, we&#8217;re going to have not just higher inflation, but possibly even accelerating inflation. And we need to recognize that we have an overheated economy that we are going to need to cool off.&#8221;
Summers later <a href="https://www.bloombergquint.com/amp/onweb/summers-says-u-s-risks-recession-by-blaming-inflation-on-greed">added</a>, “Every time a Washington policy maker suggests that this is caused by corporate greed or some such, they are delaying the date at which we will achieve the credibility necessary to bring down inflation with stable employment.”
Summers also said with respect to President Joe Biden&#8217;s picks for three openings on the Fed&#8217;s Board of Governors that what the Fed decides to focus on is going to make or break its credibility and that could cause further problems.
“If a sense develops that there’s a desire to politicize the Fed by focusing it towards other issues &#8212; beyond the crucial issues of financial stability &#8212; I think that could be problematic for the Fed’s credibility,&#8221; Summers said. &#8220;And so it will be very important for the nominees, who have distinguished track records in different areas in the past, to present their views to Congress and for Congress to very seriously consider those views.”
WATCH:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="We&#039;re Moving Toward Higher Entrenched Inflation, Says Larry Summers" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3_BeeZsofOg?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/top-obama-economic-adviser-fears-recession-says-federal-reserve-was-too-late-on-addressing-inflation">Top Obama Economic Adviser Fears Recession, Says Federal Reserve Was Too Late On Addressing Inflation</a>

Top Obama Economist Delivers Stark Warning About What Is Happening With Inflation

Lawrence Summers, a Harvard economist and former Secretary of the Treasury under President Bill Clinton and a top economic advisor to President Barack Obama, stated Wednesday morning that the United States has a &#8220;serious inflation problem.&#8221;
Summers&#8217; comment came in response to a <a href="https://www.axios.com/biden-inflation-report-ffbc02fe-1df4-4f27-85db-d00b29b4cc73.html?utm_campaign=organic&amp;utm_medium=socialshare&amp;utm_source=twitter">report from Axios</a> that the Biden White House is looking to downplay economic woes by comparing U.S. rising prices of goods to prices globally as well as the overall, potential downward trend of inflation in 2022. Still, the liberal economist noted that inflation is &#8220;running well ahead of anything seen&#8221; during historic highs in the 1970s.
According to Axios, White House officials &#8220;are trying to temper public expectations and minimize the bad-news blow.&#8221; To do so, they hope to show that inflation will be down from 7% to 3% over the next two years.
Regardless of their efforts, Summers tweeted that America has a &#8220;serious inflation problem whatever the precise CPI reading. Inflation is running well ahead of anything seen during the guns and butter Vietnam episode and 50 percent above where it was when Pres Nixon imposed wage price controls.&#8221;
Summers also noted that economic experts have been wrong about inflation before, so he cautioned trusting the prediction that inflation will decrease anytime soon.
&#8220;White House cites leading economists as foreseeing sharp declines in inflation over next two years. Certainly could happen. On other hand same kind of consensus was looking for inflation at well below 3 percent this year and it turned out to be 7,&#8221; he wrote.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
White House cites leading economists as foreseeing sharp declines in inflation over next two years. Certainly could happen. On other hand same kind of consensus was looking for inflation at well below 3 percent this year and it turned out to be 7.
&mdash; Lawrence H. Summers (@LHSummers) <a href="https://twitter.com/LHSummers/status/1481241782709018628?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 12, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
As noted by former Trump advisor Steve Cortes, &#8220;Larry Summers is hardly MAGA, but he is an economist who sees the reality of what’s happening to working class Americans under Biden’s Inflation surge.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Larry Summers is hardly MAGA, but he is an economist who sees the reality of what’s happening to working class Americans under Biden’s Inflation surge. <a href="https://t.co/fTG5hZBa3m">pic.twitter.com/fTG5hZBa3m</a>
&mdash; Steve Cortes (@CortesSteve) <a href="https://twitter.com/CortesSteve/status/1481248656888053764?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 12, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Summers has been one of the lone voices on the Left warning about rising inflation for quite some time. In November, Summers wrote in an op-ed for <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/podcasts/please-go-on/larry-summers-says-inflation-will-get-worse-before-it-gets-better/">The Washington Post</a> that the cost of goods would get worse before improving.
&#8220;Excessive inflation and a sense that it was not being controlled helped elect Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan, and risks bringing Donald Trump back to power,&#8221; Summers wrote at the time. &#8220;While an overheating economy is a relatively good problem to have compared to a pandemic or a financial crisis, it will metastasize and threaten prosperity and public trust unless clearly acknowledged and addressed.&#8221;
As The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-inflation-rises-7-in-december-over-previous-year-fastest-rise-in-almost-40-years">reported</a> on Wednesday, the Labor Department revealed data showing that in December, consumer prices rose by 7% over the previous year, the fastest increase in roughly 40 years.
In response to those figures, Republican National Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel slammed the Biden administration for failing to rein in the price of pretty much everything.
&#8220;Under Joe Biden everything costs more, store shelves are empty, and small businesses are struggling to hire workers and stay open,&#8221; McDaniel said in a statement given to The Daily Wire. &#8220;Joe Biden does not care about the hurt he&#8217;s brought on millions of Americans – with inflation at the highest level since 1982. Americans are paying the price for Biden&#8217;s failures, and Biden doesn’t care.&#8221;

Inflation Graphic

Even Obama’s Top Economic Advisor Recognizes ‘We Have A Serious Inflation Problem’

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