Even Don Lemon Isn’t Buying White House’s Inflation Spin

CNN anchor Don Lemon questioned White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre’s efforts to blame Russian president Vladimir Putin for inflation Monday night.

“Is the president being realistic about just how much this is impacting Americans and their pocketbooks?” Lemon asked Jean-Pierre on “Don Lemon Tonight.”

“We got to remember, we’re thinking about gas prices and food,” Jean-Pierre said. “This is coming from Putin’s war against Ukraine. The moment that Putin amassed forces on the border of Ukraine, we saw from then until now, we have seen a $2 increase per gallon on gas.”

The Consumer Price Index rose 8.6% year-over-year in May, the highest level since 1981.

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The Biden Administration revoked the permit for the Keystone XL oil pipeline in January 2021, which would have extended from Alberta to Texas, and cancelled an offshore lease sale for oil and gas drilling in May after issuing new regulations for onshore exploration and production. Many experts cite the disincentivizing of domestic oil and gas drilling by the Biden administration as a reason for high gas prices, which exceeded $5 a gallon.

“[Experts] also say that last year’s stimulus package, which you mentioned, contributed to inflation, Karine,” Lemon said. “Does the Biden Administration bear some responsibility for this?”

“First of all, the American rescue plan met the moment, and it has put us in a place where we can actually put us in a place where the American people feel — can actually — we can take on inflation,” Jean-Pierre said. “What I mean by that is we’ve seen growth, right, with as I mentioned more than 8 million jobs. Now we’re transitioning into a steady, stable growth.”

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Daily Caller News Foundation.