New White House press secretary blasted for botching answer to inflation question: ‘Excruciating to watch'

New White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre’s first official day on the job was marked by mockery as conservatives on Twitter slammed her for failing to handle a question on inflation. 

On Monday, Fox News White House correspondent Peter Doocy asked Jean-Pierre about a recent President Biden tweet claiming that the way to deal with the current inflation rate would be to make sure the "wealthiest corporations pay their fair share."

"How does raising taxes on corporations lower the cost of gas, the cost of a used car, the cost of food, for everyday Americans?" Doocy asked, to which Jean-Pierre responded with a rambling, incoherent statement consisting of imprecise Democrat talking points about taxing the rich and climate change.  

"So, look, I think we encourage those who have done very well, especially those who care about climate change, to support a fairer tax code that doesn’t change – doesn’t charge manufacturers, workers, cops, builders, a higher percentage of their earnings."

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Jean-Pierre made a claim to the effect of not letting the "most fortunate people in our nation" "stand in the way of reducing energy costs" – though it was hard to follow – and talked about fighting climate change and supporting "basic collective bargaining rights as well." She also advocated for a "fairer tax code," arguing that "it’s not fair" for "manufacturing workers, cops" to have to pay "higher taxes" than the "folks who are not paying taxes."

Twitter users derided the speech as rambling and not making much sense. "Big yikes," The Heritage Foundation’s John Cooper tweeted.

Republican communications specialist Matt Whitlock went so far as to claim that Jean-Pierre’s handling of the question was as bad as a Vice President Kamala Harris gaffe. He tweeted, "From the Kamala Harris and Michael Scott School of Communications where you just start a sentence and see where it takes you, regardless of the question you were asked."

"It actually looks like she's maybe just reading the wrong answer from her written talking points here - regardless of Peter's question," Whitlock added. "Talking points are fine - but you should at least try to answer a question."

The Liberty Daily editor J.D. Rucker wrote, "It’s only Karine Jean-Pierre’s first day so we’ll give her the benefit of the doubt. Dodging questions is easy. Eventually she’ll master the art of her predecessor to blame Republicans, Trump, Putin, or Peter Doocy for all the evil of the world."

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Republican author Nick Adams provided a lesson in Economics 101 for Jean-Pierre, tweeting, "What DOESN’T curb inflation: -Taxing the Rich. What DOES curb inflation: -Increased labor participation rate -Reduced government spending -Quantitative tightening -Lower energy prices… Somebody give Karine Jean-Pierre some notes!"

"Karine Jean-Pierre spent near 3 minutes on this and never answered the question Doocy asked her," tweeted conservative commentator Carmine Sabia.

Real Clear News White House reporter Philip Wegmann tweeted, "She talks about the need for an equitable tax code and collective bargaining and climate change but does not address the root question."

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"This is excruciating to watch," tweeted Manhattan Institute senior fellow Brian Riedl. He added, "Not only is she answering the question by reading from pre-written notes, but she seemed to have turned to the wrong page because she is not even remotely addressing the question topic (inflation)."