Bessent Gets Fact-Checked, Elicits Laughs on Claim Affordability is Worse in Blue States'

"I should have said, Well, she's in a red state. Affordability is worse than I mean, in a blue state, affordability is worse than a red state.' We can debate that, but keep going Ross Sorkin replied, as Bessent added, No, no, there's no debate. The number is fifty basis points higher inflation. The ten highest inflation rates are in blue cities."

"Ross Sorkin, But just so you know, because I went to look at thisthis is the Joint Economic Committeesince 2021 the highest inflation of the past four years has been in red states, especially Florida. Bessent hit back, I'm talking about current. Current. Current, not over the past four years. Ross Sorkin pushed back, Right. Today, Bessent insisted, drawing laughter from the crowd. Okay. I would think four years would be a reasonable trend line to look at."

"It is fifty basis points higher. So anyway, and look, people are voting with their feet. I have the American people on my side. New York, Illinois, California, Massachusetts are depopulating. Ross Sorkin replied, And they're going to places like Florida, where interest rates areor, I'm saying inflation's up twenty-two percent over the last four years. Bessent pushed back, Well, inflation is up twenty-five percent nationally. Ross Sorkin fact checked him again, So it is lower. I believe in New York it was nineteen percent."

Fifty basis points higher inflation was cited for blue cities and the ten highest inflation rates were identified in blue cities. Joint Economic Committee data since 2021 shows the highest inflation over the past four years concentrated in red states, particularly Florida. The apparent contradiction depends on the timeframe compared: a 'current' snapshot versus a four-year trend. Different cumulative inflation figures were referenced, including about twenty-two percent over four years, twenty-five percent nationally, and roughly nineteen percent for New York. Population movements from New York, Illinois, California, and Massachusetts toward Florida were also mentioned.

Read at www.mediaite.com