Republicans slammed the Biden administration for blaming inflation on Russian President Vladimir Putin after a report released Tuesday showed that consumer prices have jumped 8.5 percent since March 2021.
“We expect March … [Consumer Price Index] headline inflation to be extraordinarily elevated due to Putin’s price hike,” White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said Monday ahead of the release of Tuesday’s inflation report.
Conservatives weren’t having any of it.
“We need to do more to reduce costs for the American people.”
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki says the White House expects the Consumer Price Index report on inflation for March “to be extraordinarily elevated due to Putin’s price hike.” pic.twitter.com/MsImm8189U
— CBS News (@CBSNews) April 11, 2022
Podcast host Ben Shapiro tweeted that “[m]ost of the inflation happened before Putin’s invasion of Ukraine,” claiming that the White House is “lying, as usual” about the cause of inflation.
America’s inflation is far worse than Europe’s. Most of the inflation happened before Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. So when the White House says “Putin’s price hike” is responsible for the hideous inflation stats, just know they’re lying, as usual.
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) April 12, 2022
Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley blasted the Biden administration’s narrative. “You’re going to hear a lot about ‘Putin’s Price Hike’ today. Food and gas prices were already soaring. Wages can’t keep up with inflation. This is Biden’s economy,” she wrote.
You’re going to hear a lot about “Putin’s Price Hike” today.
Food and gas prices were already soaring. Wages can’t keep up with inflation. This is Biden’s economy.
— Nikki Haley (@NikkiHaley) April 12, 2022
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) blamed inflation on “federal policies of borrowing & printing money at unfathomable levels & bad energy policy.”
Inflation is at a 40-year high of 8.5% due to federal policies of borrowing & printing money at unfathomable levels & bad energy policy, which is hurting Floridians.
Biden could unleash domestic energy production to provide relief. Instead, he is content watching people suffer.
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) April 12, 2022
In a video posted to Twitter, Brad Polumbo of the right-libertarian Foundation for Economic Education said, “New inflation data are in, and ooh boy they destroyed the White House’s narrative.”
“To be clear,” Polumbo continued, “Putin’s invasion of Ukraine definitely has disrupted global energy markets and led to higher gas prices, but gas prices were rising for almost nine months before the invasion began, and prices overall have been surging since May of 2021.”
