White House press secretary Karine-Jean Pierre gave her first Sunday show interview since taking the job… and she fumbled a predictable question from a friendly reporter.
Jean-Pierre appeared Sunday on ABC’s This Week, a program hosted by former White House communications director George Stephanopolous. Jean-Pierre fielded questions about the FBI raid into a former president’s home, the incentives of President Joe Biden’s incentives for re-election and — of course — the congressional Democrats’ so-called “Inflation Reduction Act.”
She dodged a question about the bill’s capacity to actually reduce inflation.
“It’s called the ‘Inflation Reduction Act,’ but the Congressional Budget Office — which is nonpartisan — said that there would be a negligible impact on inflation this year and barely impact inflation at all next year,” co-anchor Jonathan Karl said. “Isn’t it almost Orwellian? How can you call it the Inflation Reduction Act?”
Jean-Pierre replied, “So, I appreciate that. I appreciate the question. We’ve actually addressed this — the CBO. It was the topline number. There’s more in there that shows that it will have the money from — Remember how we’re doing this, too. It’s making sure that billionaires in corporate America are paying their fair share, making sure that the tax code is a little bit more fair. And so when you do that, when you put it in its totality, you will see that it will bring down, lower the deficit, which will help fight inflation.”
In other words, Jean-Pierre talked about deficit reduction instead of inflation reduction… and she neglected to answer the substance of the question.
The Democrats could have called the bill “The Deficit Reduction Act,” but they chose a misleading name instead.
“The next thing the Democrats need to do is pass the Stop Woke Cancel Culture Act, which abolished employer-sponsored health care and implements universal coverage,” one Twitter user joked last month.
Jean-Pierre continued speaking about the bill’s supposed relationship to inflation.
“This president, when he announced back in 2019, he wanted to make sure that he led with his conviction on what was needed for the American people,” Jean-Pierre continued. “You see that anti-inflation bill. You see that it’s going to lower costs for Americans, prescription drugs, energy costs, and let’s not forget those 13 million on the ACA — Affordable Care Act — who are now going to continue to see their premiums go down. That is important,” Jean-Pierre continued. “We have 126 economists, both Republicans [and] Democrats who’ve said it’s going to fight inflation. We have five secretaries of the treasury –”
Karl interrupted, “So, you disagree with the assessment of the CBO?”
“Well, there’s more to it,” Jean-Pierre alleged. “It’s going to fight inflation. It has been proven. It has been said by economists across the board on the Republican side and on the Democratic side.”
Take a look —
ABC'S JONATHAN KARL: "Isn't it almost Orwellian? How can you call it the Inflation Reduction Act when the nonpartisan experts say it's not gonna bring inflation down?"
KARINE JEAN-PIERRE: "I appreciate the question." pic.twitter.com/tmtFTdsgXx
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) August 14, 2022
Karl also asked about Biden’s response to the national security questions raised by the FBI raid.
“I understand you can’t talk about the investigation, but I’m asking you about the national security implications,” Karl said. “As you know, top Democrats on the House Intelligence Committee are calling on the Biden administration to do an assessment of any national security challenges posed by this. Is the president concerned?”
Jean-Pierre repeated a canned response, and she lavished flattery onto Karl and his co-anchors.
“I cannot comment on this. It is an investigation that is currently happening. I hear your question, but it would be inappropriate,” Jean-Pierre said.
“[The White House has] not been briefed, not discussed. We have learned — I’m going to tell you, Jonathan — We have learned about all of this the same way the American people have learned about this, through public reports, through your reporter.”
Karl ended the interview with a question about Biden’s plans for 2024. Karl asked whether Biden should step aside in 2024 in order to spend less time on campaigning and more time on governing.
“I’m not going to ask you whether he’s going to run,” “Is it possible, if it decides not to run, that, as a lame duck president, he wouldn’t be so lame? That it might actually better for him not to run?”
“He intends to run,” Jean-Pierre said. “Here’s the thing about that argument, Jonathan. We’re not even focused on 2024. We’re focusing on the moment right now, 2022. This is a president who passed the American Rescue Plan with all Democrats.”
Watch the full video here —
The Horn editorial team