‘Great Inflation Myth’: Ali Velshi and Democratic Rep. Say Republicans Are Just Using Prices to Attack Biden
MSNBC host Ali Velshi welcomed Michigan Democrat Rep. Brenda Lawrence on his show Saturday to “discuss this great inflation myth” and how Republicans are, he says, falsely attacking President Joe Biden over prices and the economy.
In an earlier segment, Velshi argued that prices are high around the globe, and scoffed at the idea that Biden has any control over that.
“This Republican criticism of Democrats for high inflation simply does not add up,” said Velshi, describing himself as an “economics guy.”
In the next segment, he welcomed Rep. Lawrence to talk about the economy rising prices that are affecting not just American wallets but Democratic election hopes.
“Joining me now to discuss this great inflation myth that I just talked about and what’s at stake in next month’s midterms is veteran congresswoman Brenda Lawrence,” said Velshi. After some additional biographical intro, he got to the question at hand.
“Listen, one of the things I want to talk to you about specifically is this conversation that I just had about inflation,” he said, referring to his prior monologue. “I do not want to belittle anybody’s experience with inflation. We are all feeling it. We are feeling it in our daily lives. It is real.”
After saying he didn’t want to belittle the problem, he downplayed it as a Republican ploy.
“But it has been transformed into something that Republicans, in particular running for Congress, are blaming Joe Biden and Democrats for, specifically, when in fact there is no economic evidence or mathematical evidence or any other kind of evidence that that’s actually true,” he asserted without evidence.
“It’s absolutely not true,” agreed the congresswoman. Like Velshi, she pointed out that other countries have economic issues as proof that there’s nothing Democrats can do about it domestically.
“This is a very uncomfortable time right now for anyone, because when you — everyone needs to go get gas and we’re constantly reminded that inflation is happening,” said Rep. Lawrence, assuring Velshi that she considers it “important.”
“But,” she said, “isn’t it interesting with everything else that’s going on in the world, that is the sole issue that the Republicans can rest on.”
Lawrence said Democrats are fighting “for democracy” and “bringing back voting rights.” She said that when her party talks about “the crisis that student debt is putting on our economy,” Republicans file lawsuits.
“But that’s their single issue,” she said of the high prices which she and Velshi both already conceded are “real” and “important.”
“You can say what you want about a Republican, but they get they know how to market their agenda,” she added of Republicans opposing inflation.
Watch the clip above via MSNBC.
