CNBC’s ‘Squawk Box’ Rips Into Buttigieg for Sticking ‘To The Script’ on Economy: ‘Wouldn’t It Be Better to Just Be Honest?’

CNBC’s Joe Kernen confronted Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg on the White House’s “tone deaf” celebration of the economy amid continuing inflation woes.

Appearing on Squawk Box on Friday, Buttigieg touted the Inflation Reduction Act, but Kernen quickly got sick of the transportation secretary sticking “to the script.”

Kernen referenced the Consumer Price Index rising 8.3 percent year-to-year for the month of August with the cost of things like food continuing to rise.

Kernen asked Buttigieg if he thought it may have been a mistake for President Joe Biden to hold a ceremony this week celebrating the economy and Inflation Reduction Act amid inflation concerns and the Dow Jones dropping more than 1200 points.

“What you’re telling me is just stick to the script. The economy is great, the border is secure, our cities are safe. Wouldn’t it be better to just be honest with the American people about the soup that we’re in right now and we can all try to deal with it together?” Kernen said.

“Nobody’s saying that we don’t have any problems,” Buttigieg said, “but if you don’t pause and recognize the meaning of one of the most significant pieces of legislation so far in the 21st century just because we also have a lot of other problems … then I think you’re really feeding into a narrative that’s really pulling America down and holding America back.”

Buttigieg continued to tout the significance of the Inflation Reduction Act until Kernen jumped in again, blasting the name of the legislation.

“You deliberately and some people would say erroneously named it the Inflation Reduction Act and you’re celebrating it again on a day when we had 40-year highs in inflation,” he said.

“The worst thing about inflation is it means people are paying too much by definition,” Buttigieg said, adding the Inflation Reduction Act can bring down prices for things like energy, electric vehicles, and prescription drugs.

Watch above via CNBC

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