CNN guest anchor Pamela Brown could not let U.S. Rep. Michael Baumgartner (R-Wash.) try to blame former President Joe Biden for Trump’s bad economy more than a year into Trump’s second term.
The interview began with Brown pointing to new CNN polling this week showing 70 percent of Americans disapprove of how Trump is handling the economy, and 72 percent disapprove of his handling of the Iran war he unilaterally started.
“Is he putting your party in a bad position ahead of the midterms?” Brown then asked Baumgartner.
But the lawmaker wasn’t budging from his talking points, claiming Trump is “putting America on a pathway to very strong economic growth” with the “largest tax reduction in American history.”
That tax cut Baumgartner is referring to, however, is the controversial and unpopular Big Beautiful Bill set to throw beneficiaries off federal safety nets just after the midterms.
“I think the American people trust President Trump. And I think Republicans are doing a good job. And I think we’re going to do very well in these upcoming elections,” said Baumgartner, in defiance of almost every poll that’s come out in the last 90 days.
“But what do you say then, to those Americans who don’t feel that way, because it’s several polls, not just the CNN poll, that showed sentiment among the everyday Americans. … What do you say to those who aren’t feeling it, who are struggling to get by every day?”
“Well, you know, it is true that that there was inflation left over from the Biden administration,” Baumgartner. “We have done a lot in Congress to reduce some of the regulation and impediments to economic growth—”
“This is Trump’s economy,” Brown inserted, before Baumgartner droned on with his talking points.
“But you do agree that this is Trump’s economy, right?”
At that point Baumgartner attempted to shift gears and claim voters shouldn’t blame presidents for their economy — despite name-checking Biden for Biden-era inflation.
“Well, it’s the presidents who always take too much credit and too much blame for the economy. You know, the economy has multiple factors,” Baumgartner quipped.
– YouTube youtu.be