During a recent campaign event in Michigan, JD Vance was asked about Consumer Price Index (CPI) metrics that indicated inflation has cooled. However, Vance highlighted that the officially reported statistics don’t capture the full economic picture and differ from the personal experiences of American consumers. Former President Donald Trump’s running mate also emphasized that the Biden-Harris administration failed to tame rampant inflation.
A reporter from the New York Times asked Vance, “Wanted to ask you about the latest economic news from this morning, with inflation now being under 3%, the lowest rate since mid-2021, what is your sort of reaction to that news?” After he asked the question, the crowd immediately booed the reporter, who obviously disagreed that inflation has subsided.
“Well, I think the crowd reaction says it all,” Vance began. “Look when they say that inflation is down, they mean from a baseline where groceries are already 30% more expensive than they were when Donald Trump was president. And they’re not saying it’s coming down, they’re just saying it’s not going up as fast as it was three years ago.”
After clarifying what the economic data actually represented, Vance emphasized that President Biden and Vice President Harris have done a poor job with managing the economy since prices have been continually elevated throughout the administration. “That is not a reputation or a record to brag on. That’s a record to be ashamed of. Why did it take him so long to get inflation to where it is, and why are prices so high? It’s because Kamala Harris failed to do her job,” he said.
Vance continued, “So if they want to go around, and this is, you know, it’s funny, Kamala Harris, on the one hand, will say, on day one, we’re going to tackle the affordability crisis. And like I said earlier, Kamala Harris has been the vice president for three and a half years, and I think, ladies and gentlemen, she’s in effect, been the acting president, because we all know Joe Biden is at home.”
Further highlighting a key talking point of the Trump-Vance campaign that, the senator said that Kamala Harris has had several years to make a positive impact on the nation and has failed to do so. Moreover, Vance pointed out that Harris offers seemingly contradictory messaging regarding the economy. “So she’s been the one controlling government policy for three and a half years. She says she wants to tackle the affordability crisis on day one. And then, on the other hand, she’ll say, Well, we’ve already got inflation under control. Well, which is it, Kamala? Which is it?” he said.
“The simple truth is, American credit card debt is getting higher. Americans are finding the basic necessities in middle class life less affordable. Americans are becoming especially young people are becoming poppers in their own country. If we don’t do better our young generation, they’re not going to own anything, they’re not going to have anything. They’re going to be renters in the country that their parents and grandparents built, inflation is a disaster. Kamala Harris does not have a leg to stand on,” the Ohio senator concluded.
Watch Vance below:
Note: The featured image is a screenshot from the embedded video.
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