‘The Biden Administration is Over!’ Kristen Welker Calls Out Tim Scott Blaming Economic Woes on Trump’s Predecessor in Heated Exchange

NBC News’s Kristen Welker repeatedly noted to Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) that the Trump administration has been in charge of the economy for the past 19 months, after he continued to blame Joe Biden for the nation’s financial woes.

“Let’s look back at the original sin of cost in America in the last eight years,” Scott said when talking about Trump’s tariffs and affordability on Sunday’s Meet The Press. “It goes to Joe Biden, who took inflation up 21% while he was president.”

“Wait! President Trump has been in office for two years!” Welker interjected.

“Let me finish, let me finish!” Scott said, pushing back. “President Trump has brought inflation from a sky-high 21% over the Biden years down to under 5% and right now hovering near 4%.”

“Wait, inflation was at 3% when President Biden left office. It’s at 3.4% right now,” Welker spoke over Scott. “And the average household as paid $1,000 more in 2025 due to the tariffs, Senator.”

“Let’s not forget. Let’s not forget the truth,” Scott shot back, continuing:

The truth tells a great story. On the first piece of legislation in 2021, the Inflation Reduction Act that we should all laugh at, took inflation to 9% in July of 2021. Cumulate the weight of inflation at the end of the Biden years, over $1,100 of lost spending power. President Trump inherited a weak economy and has built a resilient, strong economy with our wages going up and our costs flattening, finally. Every single Democrat in the Senate voted — this is really important, Kristen — voted to take money out of the pockets of senior citizens last year. Voted to stop helping people working over time by letting them keep more of their money. Voted to take money — not out of the rich people, but out of the working-class waitresses.

“But, hold on, Senator. These are the facts. When President Trump took office, inflation was at 3%. It’s now at 3.4%. Gas prices are over $4 a gallon, up over a dollar from a year ago. President Trump’s tariffs have cost American households nearly $2,000. He promised he was going to bring prices down on day one. Did he break that promise? Prices have gone up!”

“The good news is you don’t disagree with the fact that Joe Biden brought 21% extra cost on the American families. We —”

“But we’re not talking about Joe Biden, though,” Welker maintained. “The Biden administration is over! This is the —— we’re two years into the Trump administration!”

Watch the clip above via NBC News.

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