Jennings Fact-Checks Democrat Live on Air and He Can’t Answer the Question [WATCH]

CNN senior political commentator Scott Jennings confronted former Democratic New York mayoral candidate Michael Blake during a Thursday segment, pointing out that the affordability crisis began under the Joe Biden and Kamala Harris administration.

The exchange took place after Blake argued that Democratic Iowa state Sen.-elect Catelin Drey’s victory in a recent special election showed that Republicans have failed to provide a clear policy plan to make life more affordable for Americans.

Blake claimed this inability to articulate solutions helped lead to the Democratic win.

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Jennings countered by saying it was ironic for Democrats to highlight affordability concerns when inflation reached its highest levels during Biden’s presidency.

“Well it doesn’t make me very nervous to hear Democrats, with a straight face, looking into a television camera and saying ‘boy, how did we get to this affordability crisis’ given that we all know how we got there over the last four years,” Jennings said.

Blake responded by blaming President Donald Trump for inflation during Biden’s time in office.

Jennings pressed him on the claim, asking, “So you’re saying we had no affordability crisis during the Biden years? Where did the inflation come from?”

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Blake argued that inflation has increased under “every Republican presidency,” but did not directly address the surge seen while Biden was in office.

During Biden’s presidency, inflation rose by more than 20 percent.

Annual inflation climbed from 1.4 percent at the start of his term to a peak of 9.1 percent in June 2022, the highest annual rate recorded since 1981.

Inflation did not drop below 3 percent until July 2024, marking the first time in two years that the rate had reached that level.

Economists attributed the rapid rise in inflation to federal spending bills signed into law by Biden, including the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan and the $750 billion Inflation Reduction Act.

Both measures were enacted early in his presidency and drew criticism from opponents who argued that the level of government spending would destabilize the economy.

In contrast, inflation has eased during Trump’s second term in office. Recent reports show rates coming in lower than expected.

In May, inflation dropped to its lowest point since March 2021.

The cost of consumer goods has reflected the decline. According to Trading Economics, the average price of eggs has fallen from a high of $8.20 in March to $2.13 as of Thursday.

The average price of gasoline, which reached record levels during Biden’s term, currently stands at $3.21 nationwide, according to AAA.

Despite the exchange on economic issues, Jennings noted that Democrats often perform better in special elections.

He argued that Drey’s win followed an established trend.

“It’s absolutely true. Democrats now have more voters who are regular voters in non-traditional elections. Specials, off-year, what have you. That’s absolutely true, and so you’ve seen a pattern of Democrats doing better in these elections that don’t happen outside of a regular occurrence,” Jennings said.

The back-and-forth underscored how economic conditions and inflation remain central to political debates as Republicans and Democrats continue to spar over which party’s policies best address affordability for American families.