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Karine Jean-Pierre did a cringe-worthy job dodging Doocy’s first shot

May 17, 2022 | | Print Article

The Karine Jean-Pierre/Peter Doocy era kicked off at Monday’s White House press briefing, which was Jean-Pierre’s inaugural appearance as President Biden’s press secretary, and it didn’t bode well for those seeking answers from the administration.

The Fox News correspondent asked Biden’s spokesperson — who may have set a new White House standard for cleavage — about a tweet from the president on inflation, actually quoting the tweet in full while asking his question.

“The president’s Twitter account posted the other day, ‘You want to bring down inflation? Let’s make sure the wealthiest corporations pay their fair share,'” Doocy said, before asking, “How does raising taxes on corporations reduce inflation?”

Jean-Pierre responded by asking Doocy if he was “talking about a specific tweet?”

The reporter then repeated the tweet in question, before Jean-Pierre served up a healthy word salad, you know, about not leaving anyone behind.

“Look, you know, we have talked about — we have talked about this this past year, about making sure that the wealthiest among us are paying their fair share. And that is important to do. And that is something that, you know, the President has been, you know, working on every day when we talk about inflation and lowering costs,” she explained. “And so it’s very important that, you know, as we’re seeing costs rise, as we’re talking about how to, you know — you know, build an America that is safe, that’s equal for everyone, and doesn’t leave anyone behind, that is an important part of that as well.”

Having not answered his question, Doocy took another bite at the apple, asking, “But how does raising taxes on corporations lower the cost of gas, the cost of a used car, the cost of food for everyday Americans?”

Again, Jean-Pierre dodged the question while rambling on about climate change and the wealthy supporting a “fairer tax.”

“[A] tax code that doesn’t change — that doesn’t charge manufacturers’ workers, cops, builders a higher percentage of their earnings; that the most fortunate people in our nation — and not let the — that stand in the way of reducing energy costs and fighting this existential problem, if you think about that as an example, and to support basic collective bargaining rights as well.  Right?  That’s also important,” she said.

Doocy pressed a third time, adding similar criticism from Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos.

“But what does that have to do with inflation? The president said, ‘You want to bring down inflation? Let’s make sure the wealthiest corporations pay their fair share.’ Jeff Bezos came out and tweeted about that. He said, ‘The newly created disinformation board should review this tweet.’ Would you be okay with that?” he asked.

Jean-Pierre replied, “Look, it’s not a huge mystery why one of the wealthiest individuals on Earth — right? — opposes an economic agenda that is for the middle class, that cuts some of the biggest costs families face, fights inflation for the long haul — right? — and that’s what we’re talking about; that’s why we’re — we’re talking about lowering inflation here — and adds to the historic deficit reduction the President is achieving by asking the richest taxpayers and corporations to pay their fair share. That is what we’re talking about.”

But still no answer to how raising taxes lowers inflation.

 

Tom Tillison
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