OOPS: CNN Panel Stunned After Pro-Tariff ‘MAGA Lefty’ Demands Jerome Powell Lower Interest Rates to Fight Inflation
Batya Ungar-Sargon, a self-described “MAGA Lefty,” made a rather stunning error while arguing in favor of President Donald Trump’s trade policy and coming to his defense in a discussion about his feud with Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell on CNN Thursday night.
After host Abby Phillip suggested that the “combination” of Trump’s tariffs and attacks on Powell could be disastrous, Ungar-Sargon pivoted to blasting Powell for inveighing against the tariffs.
“Yeah, but it’s kind of weird that Jerome Powell is out there opining on the tariffs. Like his job is to help stabilize the economy, and it seems like he’s not doing it because he wants to stick it to Trump,” she replied before submitting that “you would expect that a president who has a really good idea about how to restore the middle class, and restore the dignity of the working class, should have the support of the people who are, you know, have the power to help enact that.”
“Powell is the head of the Fed and has a mandate to keep inflation low and employment high. So if there are, you know, macroeconomic things that are happening in the economy that make it very difficult for him to do that, you don’t think he’s going to comment on that?” followed up Phillip.
“Do you know what would have really helped? What would be a really good idea right now to help bring down inflation and make sure that things keep running smoothly?” asked Ungar-Sargon in her return volley. “It’s dropping interest rates. Why doesn’t he do that?”
“So interest rates, if you were to drop interest rates, you would stoke inflation,” responded Charlotte Howard, executive editor of The Economist, articulating the basic economic truth that increasing the amount of money in circulation results in higher prices.
Nevertheless, Ungar-Sargon persisted.
“You would give the business community a little bit of support to get them through what is going to be a difficult time as we reorganize the economy in order to restore dignity to the working class,” she insisted.
Watch above via CNN.
