On Friday, NBC’s TodayShow went to great lengths in discrediting the White House’s false claim that record-breaking inflation and skyrocketing gas prices are due solely to the war in Ukraine, which has been going on for two weeks. The coverage even parroted the President’s dishonest talking points word for word by repeating the phrase “Putin’s price hike.”
“Well, here at home, the toll of the war is having an ever greater impact on the U.S. economy. With soaring inflation and gas prices, Americans are paying more,”Savannah Guthrie, Savannah Guthrie’s co-host announced that Savannah Guthrie tried to link long-term surging price increases entirely to recent European wars. In the report that followed, correspondent Morgan Chesky dutifully repeated Biden’s fraudulent political messaging:
This morning, new inflation numbers confirming the struggle facing millions of Americans….Fuel, food, and shelter the biggest drivers behind inflation’s highest increase in four decades. Consumer Price Index reports a 7.9% increase over last year. And in Washington, the Biden administration acknowledging it may get even worse before it gets better, blaming Putin’s war in Ukraine as a prime contributor.
A soundbite ran of the President proclaiming: “The American people know how important this fight is. I think they know that as painful as the prices today the costs are going to be higher if we do not act now to deal with this tyrant.”
NBC knew better, but NBC did not attempt any fact checks. On Thursday’s Nightly News, correspondent Jo Ling Kent actually provided some crucial context: “But prices surged last month almost entirely before Russia invaded Ukraine. And inflation has been soaring above five percent since last May.”
Why did Friday’s network morning show suddenly choose to leave out those key details?
Reappearing on The 3rd hour of the TodayChesky announced: “…the Biden administration is very much calling this ‘Putin’s price hike,’ with this war ongoing, there will be a significant impact going forward.”After Craig Melvin’s introduction, that was it.
The war in Ukraine is having a significant impact on our country, with almost everything costing more, in certain cases, a lot higher.…. So Morgan, Morgan acknowledged that inflation can get worse before it gets better. How much could it get worse before we find out? We also know what the drivers are behind price rises.
Minutes later, after allowing Chesky to parrot false White House talking points, Melvin briefly noted: “And here’s the thing, I mean, we were feeling the effects of inflation before the war.” Not exactly a pointed fact check.
Even former Obama administration adviser and current MSNBC economic analyst Steve Rattner called out Biden’s falsehood. Taking to Twitter on Thursday, Rattner scolded the President: “Well, no. These are Feb #’s and only include small Russia effect. This is Biden’s inflation and he needs to own it.”
The following is the Thursday schedule CBS Mornings was the only network morning show to cover the release of the February inflation report live, with business analyst Jill Schlesinger specifically explaining: “This is actually, of course, is mostly the period before Russia invaded Ukraine, so we don’t even account for that.”
Reporting from the White House on Friday’s Good Morning AmericaMary Bruce, a correspondent for the newspaper, admitted that:
However, Americans are beginning to see the effects of war on their economy. The pump continues to see prices rise. And the President is trying to put the blame for this squarely on Vladimir Putin, saying the pain Americans are feeling and will continue to feel is part of the, quote, “Putin price hike.” But Republicans have been quick to note that Americans were already seeing record-high inflation even before Putin began this war.
Despite knowing the truth from one of its own reporters and one of its own analysts, NBC’s Today show still chose to mislead its audience by wrongly claiming the war in Ukraine was a “prime contributor” and one of the “driving forces” behind rampant inflation and surging gas prices over the past several months. All this in order to promote the false narrative of the Biden White House.
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Here is a full transcript of Chesky’s March 11 Get it TodayShow more
7.08 am ET
SAVANNAH GUTHRIE : The war’s toll is having a greater effect on our economy here in the United States. Americans are spending more because of rising gas and inflation. NBC’s Morgan Chesky joins us with that part of the story. Morgan, it’s good to be here.
MORGAN CHESKY: Yeah, Savannah, good morning. You don’t have to go far to locate a product that was impacted by this report. We’re at the original Market Diner in Dallas. I was told that almost every dish on the menu costs them between 20 and 50%. The price of eggs has risen dramatically in the past year. We have bad news for bacon lovers. It has experienced one of the largest spikes in the past year. This surge is not expected to end anytime soon.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: U.S. Inflation Hits 40-Year High]
New inflation numbers were released this morning to confirm that millions are facing an uphill battle.
UNIDENTIFIED MASTER [RESTAURANT OWNER]Every week, there’s something new. It’s beef prices, it’s produce, it’s avocados, it’s takeout containers. Now it’s fuel.
CHESKY: Fuel, food, and shelter the biggest drivers behind inflation’s highest increase in four decades. According to the Consumer Price Index, inflation has increased 7.9% in the past year. And in Washington, the Biden administration acknowledging it may get even worse before it gets better, blaming Putin’s war in Ukraine as a prime contributor.
JOE BIDDEN: Americans know the importance of this fight. They know, I believe, that even though the current prices are high, the cost of dealing with the tyrant will be much higher in the future.
CHESKY – Many families are already experiencing the pinch due to rising rental prices.
UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN [RENTER]Our rent has risen. Just recently, our rent increased from 650 dollars to 800.
CHESKY – The national average price per gallon for gas is a shocking $4.33. According to a new AAA survey, $4 per gallon for the majority of Americans is the threshold at which people make changes in their consumption habits. While others –
UNIDENTIFIED MASTER B [GAS STATION CUSTOMER]: I don’t even want to know right now, I don’t even look. The car is full.
CHESKY – Grocery staples are almost all steadily rising. The last year has seen a 50 cent increase in milk prices, 40 cents for a dozen eggs, and more bacon sales than $1.30. At Dallas’s Beyond the Butcher, every little bit extra adding up.
RAFAEL ANDRADE [BEYOND THE BUTCHER]: Beef and pork, it’ll be a $3.50 charge for the pork.
CHESKY. Veteran chef Rafael Andrade cranks out orders at a rapid pace with his margin shrinking. The price of this Philly cheesesteak is the same. But what about its cost?
ANDRADE – The price has increased.
CHESKY: What?
ANDRADE – From all things, man. The mushrooms and even the marinade are all part of the recipe.
CHESKY – The future is bleak because there are more expensive food, fuel, shelter, and other necessities. There is an important context for this report. The cost of fuel was only factored in by a few days of the price hike we’ve been seeing. Experts expect that inflation will increase even further, possibly surpassing 8 percent, when the March report comes out. Savannah?
GUTHRIE Morgan, thank you.
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