Jake Tapper with CNN went after Gina Raimondo, the Biden Administration Secretary of Commerce, this past Sunday regarding how the administration has shown extremely sluggish responses when it comes to dealing with many issues that he states that experts explained and forecasted gave them ample time to prepare for.
“So, you heard Secretary [Janet] Yellen this week said she got it wrong about inflation. In July, you told Bloomberg that inflation would be temporary, about a year ago,” pressed Tapped on a segment of “State of the Union,” a Sunday morning show for the network.
“As recently as six months ago, you were calling inflation a ‘short-term problem,’ not a long-term problem,” he explained. “So, you got it wrong too.”
“So, clearly, we are and Americans are struggling with inflation, but I don’t think anyone predicted Putin’s war in Ukraine or various other things that have happened that have been unexpected,” responded Raimondo. “I still think we will get inflation under control. We just have to stick with it and see it through.”
CNN'S JAKE TAPPER: "As recently as six months ago, you were calling inflation 'a short-term problem, not a long-term problem.'"
COMMERCE SECRETARY GINA RAIMONDO: "I still think we will get inflation under control, we just have to stick with it." pic.twitter.com/ftec6ui6Gv
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) June 5, 2022
“Well, all due respect, Madam Secretary, [economist] Larry Summers, a year ago, more than a year ago, was saying that the Biden administration was putting too much money into the economy, flooding too much money into the economy, and he was concerned about inflation,” Tapper fired back. “And Biden administration officials said that Larry Summers was wrong. And it turned out Larry Summers was right.”
“I don’t really agree with that characterization,” she stated. “Look, the reality is, I was just in Europe a couple of weeks ago. Gas there in France is $10 a gallon. and — right? And they didn’t have an American Rescue Plan like we did.”
CNN's Jake Tapper roasts Biden Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo for repeatedly ignoring warnings of surging inflation.
RAIMONDO: "Uh, I don't really agree with that characterization…" pic.twitter.com/cEPK8KuApy
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) June 5, 2022
At this point in the interview Tapped shifted his focus over to the response from the administration concerning the current massive shortage in baby formula that has been plaguing the U.S. for the past few months.
“President Biden this week said he didn’t learn about the severity of the infant formula shortage until April,” stated Tapper. “But problems first emerged back at the Abbott plant back in October of 2021. An industry executive said they knew how bad this could get when the plant closed in February.”
“When did you first learn of this problem?” he posited.
“I first learned about it a couple of months ago,” hedged Raimondo, before later going on to claim, “probably April.”
“I’m not involved in the administration’s response here, I should say,” she continued. “But I think they’re doing a very good job.”
Tapper then asked Raimondo about why the Biden administration has repeatedly been “caught flat-footed” with his responses to most of these issues, including inflation, record shatteringly high fuel prices, and the baby formula shortage.
“Why does it seem the Biden administration is consistently playing clean-up on these problems that are playing out exactly as many experts forecast they would, instead of heading them off before they become a crisis?” he questioned.
“So, again, I mean, that’s one way to look at it.” she stammered.
Raimondo failed to actually answer the question related to the issues that were pointed out by Tapper.
CNN'S JAKE TAPPER: "When did you first learn of this [baby formula shortage]?"
SEC. RAIMONDO: "Uh, I first learned about it, you know, a couple of months ago…"
TAPPER: "So April?"
RAIMONDO: "Uh, yes, probably April. I'm not involved in the administration's response here…" pic.twitter.com/XVPcQQh9La
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) June 5, 2022