‘But in Reality’: NBC Smacks Down Biden’s Inflation Lies

Tuesday morning’s Labor Department report showed that inflation rose to 8.5% year over year, its fastest rate since 1981. It seems that for now, the media has stopped allowing President Biden to blame Russian President Vladimir Putin. This was further demonstrated by a report. NBC Nightly NewsKristen Welker, chief White House correspondent, called Biden out for unfairly accusing Putin of 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. Welker reported that almost all prices have risen last month. “Gas prices up 48 percent over last year. Fast 9 percent increase in food prices, with meat, poultry, eggs, and fish all up. 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 am doing all that is possible by executive orders in order to lower the price and stop the rise of the Putin prices.

Welker corrected the record in a way that is often used by NBC against Republicans after airing Biden’s soundbite. She dismissed Biden’s comment, retorting “[I]It is a 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 TonightAnchor David Muir reported on that “Inflation [is] now at the highest level since 1981” and “Consumer prices up 8.5 percent over the past year.” 

However 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.” 

For the full transcripts, click on “expand”. 

ABC’s World News Tonight
4/12/2022
Eastern, 6:45:25 

DAVIDMUIR: The new numbers are here tonight. The level of inflation is at its highest since 1981. Over the last 12 months, consumer prices have risen 8.5%. Prices for energy have risen by an alarming 32 percent. Americans are now paying $325 per month more for essentials than last year.

CBS Evening News
4/12/2022
Eastern at 6:40 p.m. 

NORAH O’DONNELL: Let’s turn now to the economy, with those stunning new inflation numbers out today. In March, the Labor Department reported that the consumer price index grew by 8.5% compared with a year earlier. This is the fastest rate in over 40 years. The monthly rise in gas prices was responsible for more than half of the increase. Today, President Biden visited Iowa to announce a plan to reduce rising gasoline prices. With rising prices for everything from food and gas to rent, inflation can have a devastating effect on everyone. However, it is especially detrimental to those who are struggling to make ends work. 

NBC Nightly News
4/12/2022
Eastern, 7:07:54

KRISTEN WELKER: America’s inexorable inflation crisis continues to worsen with the news today that it has accelerated at 8.5 percent, an unprecedented 41-year record. All prices are rising. Prices for gas have risen by 48 percent from last year. Fast food prices have increased by nearly 9 per cent, which includes meat, fish and eggs. Rents are up 5 percent, and housing costs have risen. Renee Schultz, a Pennsylvania school bus driver says that her high grocery bill has left her struggling for food. She’s now turning to the food pantry. 

(…)

WELKER: Today, the government has released a forecast that gas prices will rise this summer to their highest level since 2014. Biden, the President of the United States, stated today in Iowa that he will increase the sales and production Ethanol-Blended Gasoline to relieve pain at the pumps and blame Vladimir Putin for his invasion of Ukraine.

[cuts to video]

JOE BIDEN : Executive orders are my way of bringing down the price, and addressing the Putin price rise.

[cuts back to live]

WELKER The President is facing criticism today from Republicans as well as a key Democrat Senator Joe Manchin. He wrote that the Federal Reserve and the Administration failed to respond quickly enough and called the response “half measures”. The White House touts signs of economic strength such as good job numbers and a decrease in gasoline prices by 23 cents over the past month. But all this is overshadowed however by the soaring inflation.