Republican flames out on-air after blaming Biden for Trump’s inflation

Conservative political strategist and CNN pundit Scott Jennings failed to make his case for blaming President Donald Trump’s inflation problems on former president Biden — despite Biden leaving office more than a year ago.

Jennings set himself up for trouble after former Bill Clinton adviser Paul Begala identified inflation as one of Trump’s major obstacles threatening to destroy himself and his Republican Party in the November midterms.

“We have an unpopular war, an unpopular president … It’s not just that his war is unpopular and fracturing his base more than I think even Iraq fractured President Bush's base, but it’s his inflation,” Begala told CNN host Kaitlan Collins. “It's inflation that got him elected, and it's inflation that's going to cause a landslide for the Democrats in the midterm.”

But Jennings seized onto a Republican talking point circulated since Trump first began failing to control inflation months ago.

“Well, look, the rate of inflation is far lower than it was under Joe Biden. I mean, I think one of the things the Republicans have to do is remind the American people how we got to this cost-of-living place in the first place. And it was Joe Biden,” Jennings said. “Those four years drove prices to the moon.”

“But it's higher now than when [Trump] got into office,” Collins inserted.

“But, but the rate of inflation is normal,” said Jennings.

“But it's higher than when he got into office,” Collins repeated. “He came into office saying, ‘I'm going to make inflation go even lower than it is right now.'”

“Well, the rate of inflation is lower,” Jennings insisted, suggesting consumers would notice the slower speed of rising inflation over its sheer height. “The rate of inflation has come down.”

But Begala mocked Jennings for making the claim: “That’s a political excuse. I tried it when I worked for Bill Clinton. We got wiped out. ‘Some other dude did it. Oh, blame Joe Biden!’ That dog don’t hunt, man. You know what? I hope you do [just that.] I hope all of you go out there and blame Joe Biden.”

“Inflation is higher today than it was the day [Trump] took office,” Collins persisted.

“That’s true,” added Begala. “It was 2.75 percent the day he took office. It’s 3.3 percent now.

Barely missing a beat, Jennings countered: “So you all are arguing that we should have rapid deflation? Is that what you're – is that what you're arguing?”

Begala laughed.

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