On Tuesday morning, the Labor Department reported that inflation has risen at the fastest pace since 1981, soaring to 8.5 percent year over year. But it appears for now that the media is done letting President Biden get away with blaming Russian President Vladimir Putin for the devastating increase in prices. More evidence of this was during a report on NBC Nightly News where chief White House correspondent Kristen Welker called out Biden for falsely blaming Putin for inflation.
“America's unrelenting inflation crisis keeps getting worse with today's news that it's accelerated to 8.5 percent, a 41-year high,” Welker reported. Adding that prices for almost everything have continued to rise last month “Gas prices up 48 percent over last year. Food prices jumping nearly 9 percent, including meat, poultry, fish, and eggs spiking nearly 14 percent. Housing costs surging too, with rents up 5 percent.”
Welker then turned her attention to Biden’s address on gas prices in Iowa where he once again repeated the “Putin price hike” lie:
BIDEN: I'm doing everything within my power by executive orders to bring down the price and address the Putin price hike.
After airing that soundbite from Biden, Welker set the record straight in a manner that is usually used against Republicans by NBC. She dismissed Biden’s comment, retorting “[I]n reality, inflation has been soaring above 5 percent for nearly a year and our latest NBC News poll shows just 6 percent of Americans blame rising prices on the Russian invasion of Ukraine, 38 percent blame President Biden and his policies.”
She also let viewers know about the bipartisan condemnation of Biden’s response to inflation with Democrat Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) calling the President’s response “half measures.”
NBC wasn’t the only network to report on the eye-popping inflation numbers, ABC’s World News Tonight anchor David Muir reported that “Inflation [is] now at the highest level since 1981” and “Consumer prices up 8.5 percent over the past year.”
While CBS Evening News anchor Norah O’Donnell noted how “with higher prices on food to gas to rent, inflation impacts everyone, but especially those struggling to make ends meet.”
To read the relevant transcripts click "expand":
ABC’s World News Tonight
4/12/2022
6:45:25 p.m. EasternDAVID MUIR: And here at home, the new numbers tonight. Inflation now at the highest level since 1981. Consumer prices up 8.5 percent over the past year. Energy prices up an eye-popping 32 percent. Americans now paying $325 more per month just for the essentials than they were paying this time last year.
CBS Evening News
4/12/2022
6:40:07 p.m. EasternNORAH O’DONNELL: Let's turn now to the economy, with those stunning new inflation numbers out today. The Labor Department's consumer price index rose by 8.5 percent in March compared to a year ago. That is the fastest pace in more than 40 years. Gas prices accounted for over half the monthly increase. President Biden traveled to Iowa today to unveil a new plan to drive down those rising gas prices. And with higher prices on food to gas to rent, inflation impacts everyone, but especially those struggling to make ends meet.
NBC Nightly News
4/12/2022
7:07:54 p.m. EasternKRISTEN WELKER: America's unrelenting inflation crisis keeps getting worse with today's news that it's accelerated to 8.5 percent, a 41-year high. Prices surging across the board. Gas prices up 48 percent over last year. Food prices jumping nearly 9 percent, including meat, poultry, fish, and eggs spiking nearly 14 percent. Housing costs surging too, with rents up 5 percent. In Pennsylvania, school bus driver Renee Schultz says soaring grocery bills have left her struggling to feed her family. Now she's turning to a food pantry.
(...)
WELKER: And today, a new government forecast predicts gas prices this summer will be the highest since 2014. Today in Iowa, President Biden saying he's boosting the sale and production of ethanol-blended gasoline as a way to alleviate pain at the pump, and again blaming Vladimir Putin's Ukraine invasion.
[cuts to video]
JOE BIDEN: I'm doing everything within my power by executive orders to bring down the price and address the Putin price hike.
[cuts back to live]
WELKER: But in reality, inflation has been soaring above 5 percent for nearly a year and our latest NBC News poll shows just 6 percent of Americans blame rising prices on the Russian invasion of Ukraine, 38 percent blame President Biden and his policies. Today the President facing criticism from Republicans and a key Democrat, Senator Joe Manchin writing, the federal reserve, and the administration failed to act fast enough, calling the response, quote, half measures. But the White House is touting signs of economic strength, including good jobs numbers, a low unemployment rate, and a 23 cent decline in gas prices over the last month. Still, all of it overshadowed by soaring inflation.
