Overview
- At a televised briefing, press secretary Karoline Leavitt repeatedly said inflation has slowed to an average 2.5%, sparking a tense exchange with CNN’s Kaitlan Collins and other reporters.
- Official Consumer Price Index data show year‑over‑year inflation was 3.0% in January and 3.0% in September, the most recent publicly available month after data delays.
- The White House later told CNN Leavitt was citing an annualized multi‑month measure, while fact‑checkers noted the simple eight‑month average is closer to 2.7% and not comparable to single‑month CPI readings.
- A recent White House graphic contrasted Biden’s 9.1% monthly peak with a 2.7% Trump eight‑month average, a presentation analysts called an apples‑to‑oranges comparison.
- Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell has said goods inflation picked up with the administration’s tariffs, as independent data show grocery prices up year over year and overall prices still far above pre‑pandemic levels despite cheaper gasoline.