House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries is a political lightweight. It shows every time he opens his mouth. He thinks he’s clever and witty and politically savvy, but he’s none of those things. Which is why he has earned the moniker of “Temu Obama” or, if you like, “Dollar Store Obama.”
His lack of savvy and talent was on display again when he chose rank partisanship instead of sticking to the facts. During an appearance on a local NYC morning news show, Jeffries tried to use the same “It’s All Trump’s Fault” shtick he gets away with on loony left networks like MS NOW, but it didn’t work:
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries found himself repeatedly on the defensive Monday after Fox 5 New York hosts challenged his attempts to blame rising costs on President Donald Trump’s foreign policy and the ongoing situation involving Iran.
Jeffries appeared on Good Day New York intending to focus on affordability and economic concerns facing American families. Instead, much of the interview turned into a debate over inflation, gas prices, and the economic record of Democratic administrations.
The exchange became increasingly uncomfortable as hosts Rosanna Scotto and Dan Bowens pushed back on Jeffries’ claims and reminded viewers that many of the same economic problems Democrats now criticize also occurred under Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden.
Jeffries argued that uncertainty surrounding the Middle East and the Strait of Hormuz had contributed to higher costs for American consumers.
According to the Democratic leader, instability in the region has increased economic uncertainty and placed additional pressure on household budgets.
But Scotto quickly challenged the premise.
“All right, listen, the gas prices were this high under Obama, too,” she told Jeffries.
The House Minority Leader attempted to respond before Scotto pressed further.
“And Biden, right?” she asked. “President Biden, didn’t we have gas prices at over $5?”
Jeffries responded by attributing those price increases to extraordinary circumstances.
“No, well, they were gas prices in the immediate aftermath of the pandemic situation,” he said.
The hosts weren’t finished.
Scotto then shifted the conversation toward grocery prices, another issue Democrats have increasingly tried to focus on heading into future elections.
“And I remember eggs were like $12 a dozen,” Scotto said.
The exchange forced Jeffries into an awkward position.
Rather than focusing on criticism of the current administration, he found himself defending inflation spikes and affordability problems that occurred during the Biden years.
No, Hakeem, $12 eggs weren’t due to the pandemic. They were due to Biden and Democrats’ massive spending bills that helped feed the inflation from the pandemic. Also, Biden literally canceled fossil fuel drilling and infrastructure projects that led to higher gas prices.