The Biden administration came out swinging on Thursday after a new poll found that 88 percent of the American public believes the economy is headed in the wrong direction.
Responding to the Monmouth University poll, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre insisted that the American people are on board with the administration’s economic plan.
'I don't think it's that our plan is not popular with the American people. We know that the American people are feeling the high cost. We understand what they are feeling,' she told Fox News.
Jean-Pierre disagreed with the poll, describing the country as being “stronger economically than we have been in history.”
“Because when we look at inflation, we look at where we are economically – and we are in a strong, we are stronger economically than we have been in history,” she said. “You look at the unemployment numbers at 3.6 percent. When you look at the jobs numbers, more than 8.7 million new jobs created. That is important. But we understand that gas prices are high and we understand the costs are high.”
She also blamed high gas prices on Russia, calling them “Putin’s tax hike.”
“The President understands what the American people understand. He understands that gas prices are high because of Putin's tax hike, because of the brutal war that Putin has taken on in Ukraine.”
While gas prices have begun to tapper off in the last few weeks as fears of a recession mount, Jean-Pierre sought to emphasize that the administration was with the public in terms of historically high costs.
“But again, we understand what the American people are feeling. We're doing everything that we can. We have a plan. Here's the thing: We have a plan,' she said. 'Republicans do not have a plan. What they want to do is take away rights from the American people.”