White Home press secretary Karoline Leavitt lashed out at CNN’s Kaitlan Collins on Thursday, defending President Donald Trump’s economy after being confronted over affordability.
“If the financial system is as robust because the president has mentioned it’s, then why is he telling mother and father two weeks earlier than Christmas that they need to solely purchase two or three dolls for his or her kids?” Collins requested throughout a White Home press convention.
Leavitt defended Trump’s remarks at a rally this week in Pennsylvania, the place he informed the gang, “You don’t want 37 dolls to your daughter. Two or three is sweet. You don’t want 37 dolls, so, uh, we’re doing issues proper.”
Trump meant to convey that he “needs merchandise made proper right here in America,” pushing his tariffs and claiming the U.S. can have higher-quality objects, she claimed.
“Perhaps you’ll pay $1 or two extra, however you’re going to get higher high quality, and also you’ll be supporting your fellow People by shopping for American, and that’s what the president was saying, ” Leavitt mentioned.
The Trump administration is beneath hearth over affordability, with a latest YouGov/Economist ballot revealing that 59% of voters disapprove of Trump’s dealing with of the financial system.
“Once more, with respect to affordability, each financial metric — Kaitlin, and I want you’ll report extra on it — does, in truth, present that the financial system is getting higher and brighter than the place it was beneath the earlier administration,” she claimed, citing slowing inflation and decrease gasoline costs and including, “The very best is but to return.”
“The president is digging our nation out of the financial gap that the earlier administration put us in, and that’s what he’s speaking about,” Leavitt mentioned.
Collins pushed again, noting that grocery prices are up and People are nonetheless feeling uneasy in regards to the financial system. “There’s blended indicators,” she mentioned.
That’s when Leavitt went into assault mode. “There’s much more scrutiny on this problem from this press corps than there was,” she started.
“My predecessor stood up at this podium, and she or he mentioned inflation doesn’t exist. She mentioned the border was safe, and folks such as you simply took her at her phrase, and people had been two utter lies,” Leavitt informed Collins. “All the things I’m telling you is the reality backed by actual, factual knowledge, and also you simply don’t wish to report on it, since you wish to push unfaithful narratives.”
“I’m not going to take your follow-up” query about Venezuela, she sniped at Collins.
