House Speaker Mike Johnson made an admirably ridiculous attempt to spin one of Donald Trump’s more eyebrow-raising comments about his abject economy.
Johnson went on CNN on Wednesday to clean up after Trump told reporters at a White House signing ceremony that he loved the latest inflation numbers—on the same day data showed the Consumer Price Index had risen 4.2 percent over the past year and spiked 0.5 percent in May alone, the fastest pace in more than three years.
Asked by reporters if he was concerned about the surge in prices, Trump was unequivocal. “No, I love it. The numbers were great,” he said.
Johnson, who was standing in the room when Trump said it, rushed to CNN with an explanation. “It was totally out of context. You know what he was talking about,” he told reporter Manu Raju. What Trump meant, Johnson said, was that the number would look great in comparison to what comes next.
“When we get these situations resolved, that’ll be a fun thing to consider and compare. That’s what he was talking about. That was the context,” Johnson said, adding, for credibility, “I was standing right behind him.”
Trump then offered his own clarification to the New York Post, which did not entirely simplify matters. “I love the inflation numbers because of what I’m talking about,” he said.
“The numbers are going to be phenomenal because what’s showing is that despite the fact that we’re in a war, the numbers are much lower than anticipated, and when we’re out of that war, the numbers will be at lower numbers than they were even before it started.”
The inflation surge is being driven largely by energy costs tied to Trump’s war on Iran, and it is rattling Republicans heading into the midterms. Trump returned to office promising to rapidly bring down costs for American consumers. Inflation was running at 2.4 percent annually before his military intervention in February.
Rep. Richard Hudson of North Carolina, the House GOP’s campaign chairman, tried to project calm at a Washington event Tuesday. “I’m very confident we’re going to hold the House,” he said. “In fact, I think we’ll pick up seats.”
