Langone: Biden blaming Putin for inflation won't solve the problem
Ken Langone, co-founder of Home Depot, responds to President Biden's address on record inflation rates on 'Your World.'
NBC News parroted the White House's "Putin Price Hike" talking point in its report on March inflation rates on Tuesday.
New reports from the Labor Department said that the consumer price index rose by 8.5% in March compared to the same time one year ago. This marked the highest inflation rates since December 1981 when inflation hit 8.9%. In addition, prices jumped 1.2% from February, making March the largest single-month jump since 2005.
MEDIA REACT TO SKYROCKETING MARCH INFLATION: ‘THIS IS CRIPPLING POLITICALLY’
Based on a tweet from NBC News Business’ Twitter account, the increase was due primarily to the ongoing war in Ukraine and rise in the cost of rents.
"Inflation hits 40-year high of 8.5 percent due to war in Ukraine, rent hikes," NBC News Business tweeted with a link to its coverage.
NBC News Business tweeted "JUST IN: Inflation hits 40-year high of 8.5 percent due to war in Ukraine, rent hikes" (Twitter)
The article also highlighted the Russia invasion as well as the coronavirus pandemic as a factor for inflation with no reference to President Biden or his policies.
"The shock to energy prices from Russia's invasion of Ukraine, in addition to ongoing supply chain constraints from the pandemic, mean higher prices for goods could persist," NBC reporter Rob Wile wrote.
The reports framing of the high inflation rates followed Biden and the White House’s efforts to claim that rising prices for food and gas were due to a "Putin Price Hike" caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, despite inflation being a problem prior to the invasion. Polling from NBC News itself showed that Americans are more likely to blame President Biden and his policies rather than Russia.
During the first days of the invasion, the White House came up with the "Putin Price Hike" talking point in which MSNBC anchor Andrea Mitchell praised it as a "great way to message."
Presidents Biden and Putin (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images | Mikhail Svetlov/Getty Images)
Twitter users called out NBC for continuing to push the White House talking point.
Comedian Tim Young tweeted "’Due to war in Ukraine’ is an absolute lie... yet you wonder why people call you fake news."
Tim Young tweeted "'Due to war in Ukraine' is an absolute lie... yet you wonder why people call you fake news." (Twitter)
"Look how hard they're trying," Omri Ceren, advisor for Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, wrote.
Omri Ceren tweeted "Look how hard they're trying." (Twitter)
RealClearInvestigations senior writer Mark Hemingway tweeted "OH COME ON."
Mark Hemingway tweeted "OH COME ON." (Twitter)
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Although some media outlets have acknowledged how "crippling politically" the new inflation reports are for Biden, some have continued to push the economic problems as a "Russia-boosted crisis."
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