White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki is facing questions about the administration’s strategy of placing blame for recent gas price hikes on Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Fox News’ Peter Doocy pointed out President Joe Biden’s statement on the February inflation report where he placed some blame for the price increase on Putin.
“Inflation goes up today. The president’s statement blames the ‘Putin price hike,'” he said on Thursday. “Are you guys just going to start blaming Putin for everything until the midterms?”
Psaki responded, “We’ve seen the price of gas go up at least 75 cents since President Putin lined up troops on the border of Ukraine.”
However, the Fox reporter noted, “Last month, the statement didn’t mention the ‘Putin price hike.’ It mentioned inflation because of the pandemic. Why’s that?”
“The last two years, there was a global pandemic,” Psaki began. “Everyone who’s a global economist have all agreed that has been the biggest contributor to date of inflation because of the impact on the supply chain. Obviously, global events impact the economy, the global economy, as well as global inflation.”
Watch the video below:
Another day, another Doocy question about the #PutinPriceHike.
— The Recount (@therecount) March 10, 2022
Fox’s Peter Doocy: “Are you guys just gonna start blaming Putin for everything?”
WH Press Sec. Jen Psaki: “We’ve seen the price of gas go up at least 75 cents since President Putin lined up troops.” pic.twitter.com/xG5qURTaNH
On Thursday, the Labor Department released the data for inflation in February, which showed that prices increased at their highest pace since Jan. 1982.
The Wall Street Journal noted, “Rising energy prices, including higher gasoline prices, helped push up the inflation reading, along with increases for groceries, restaurant food, transportation services and apparel. Economists expect additional price increases related to the Ukraine crisis after crude oil prices in March hit their highest levels since 2008, and U.S. gasoline prices reached record highs.”
According to AAA, the average price for a gallon of gas nationally on Thursday was $4.31, up more than 80 cents from a month ago — before Russia launched its invasion.
Gas prices rose 6.6% and accounted for roughly a third of inflation in February. They have increased 38% from last February.
In a statement after the latest data revealed that the annual inflation rate in February was 7.9%, Biden pointed to what he called “Putin’s price hike” as a reason for the higher prices.
He said, “Today’s inflation report is a reminder that Americans’ budgets are being stretched by price increases and families are starting to feel the impacts of Putin’s price hike.”
“A large contributor to inflation this month was an increase in gas and energy prices as markets reacted to Putin’s aggressive actions,” he continued. “As I have said from the start, there will be costs at home as we impose crippling sanctions in response to Putin’s unprovoked war, but Americans can know this: the costs we are imposing on Putin and his cronies are far more devastating than the costs we are facing.”