The internet is forever! At least that’s a concept most people on the internet besides CNN seem to grasp. On Tuesday, CNN made its double standard on inflation so nakedly apparent it needs an NC-17 rating. Inflation under Biden was "falling," but under Trump it's "persistent....as high prices continue to weigh on many Americans."
The Bureau of Labor Statistics released a report January 13 finding that core consumer prices — which excludes volatile food and energy prices — increased less than expected at 2.6 percent year-over-year in December. The all-items index increased 2.7 percent on an annual basis, in line with expectations.
It's a welcome report for sure, as it provides more evidence that the Trump tariffs did NOT have the disastrous effect on inflation that CNN and others were swearing up and down would materialize in the past year.
But CNN, true to form, immediately tried to make a relatively good report out to be a bad one in a January 13 X post: “US inflation remained at 2.7% in December, underscoring persistent cost of living challenges.”
But as Daily Wire senior editor Cabot Phillips pointed out, this just stinks of hypocrisy. When inflation came in at a whopping 6 percent in February 2023 under President Joe Biden, which was just a few ticks down from the January 2023 6.4 percent number, CNN tried to spin that report positively: “US inflation is still high, but it's falling. Last month's Consumer Price Index measured 6%, down from January's 6.4%.”
But now? "Persistent cost of living challenges." It's true that Americans are still feeling Bidenflation, so another 2.7 percent is more of the same. What's sick is that Democrat-friendly networks want Democrats to win on "affordability."
US inflation remained at 2.7% in December, underscoring persistent cost of living challengeshttps://t.co/ty7Yfw76WL
— CNN (@CNN) January 13, 2026
So, what’s the difference between 2023 and 2026? Well, the guy sitting behind the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office of course and CNN knows that. What’s even crazier is that the stories from the two periods were written by the same author: CNN Business senior writer Alicia Wallace.
Here’s her latest headline on inflation under Trump: “Inflation remained at 2.7% in December, as high prices continue to weigh on many Americans.”
Contrast that with her 2023 headline for Bidenflation, “Inflation fell for the eighth-straight month in February.”
US inflation is still high, but it's falling. Last month's Consumer Price Index measured 6%, down from January's 6.4%.https://t.co/yHYEskbfku pic.twitter.com/hUOaaAgH01
— CNN (@CNN) March 14, 2023
“2.7%” inflation: Bad. “6%” inflation: Getting better all the time! Somebody make it make sense!
Even Wallace’s newest reporting on inflation numbers under Trump left out key context. CNN highlighted that “sharply rising food prices” increased 0.7 percent on the month (also increased 3.1 percent on an annualized basis), but completely ignored that egg prices also tumbled 8.2 percent and fell a massive 21 percent on the year. Compare this to how she reported on food prices under Biden in 2023:
Food prices continued to cool. Overall food prices were up 9.5% for the 12 months ending in February, representing the lowest annual rate for the category since April. Prices for food at home (grocery purchases) were up 10.2% in February, the lowest since March 2022.
See the problem yet? But this represents a very typical pattern for Wallace. When the third estimate of Q2 GDP was released in September 2025 and completely blew away expectations at a 3.8 percent rate, Wallace also tried to bend that news into a pretzel to attack Trump too: “Trump’s tariffs are driving a wedge through the US economy, further separating the haves from the have-nots.”
CNN isn't "Facts First" on the economy. As on everything else, a partisan liberal spin comes first.
