Doocy: “Putin Price Hike” Timeline Doesn’t Add Up; Psaki Grilled on Ethics of Negotiating MSNBC Job From White House Podium

On 4/1/2022, Doocy caught Psaki in a timeline problem: Biden was blaming Putin for food price increases, but inflation was 7.9% in February before the invasion on the 24th, and March data wouldn’t be available until April 12. Multiple reporters pressed Psaki on the ethics of negotiating a reported MSNBC job while standing behind the White House podium. An economic advisor confirmed the “decarbonization agenda is very much alive” — meaning the energy crisis was being used to accelerate, not reverse, the transition away from fossil fuels. Oil industry analysts said the administration was “not sending the signal to lenders that this is a safe place for investment."

"Timeline Doesn’t Add Up”

Doocy dismantled the “Putin price hike” narrative with dates. “Biden named Putin’s invasion for not just higher gas prices but also higher food prices. Inflation was at 7.4 percent in January before the invasion. In February, it went up to 7.9 percent. Putin didn’t invade until the 24th,” Doocy said.

“So March is really going to show the impact of the invasion. And that report doesn’t even come out until April 12th,” Doocy continued. “How are people supposed to believe the Putin price hike is to blame for food prices going up when the timeline doesn’t add up?”

Psaki pivoted to market speculation. “We know that different markets around the world are impacted by the lack of production in Ukraine. And we know that could impact global food prices,” she said, then conceded: “It hasn’t happened yet.”

MSNBC Ethics Questions

Multiple reporters pressed Psaki about reports she was negotiating a job at MSNBC. “Is it ethical for you to continue conducting this job while negotiating with the media?” a reporter asked.

“I have always gone over and above the stringent ethical and legal requirements of the Biden administration,” Psaki said. “I have received rigorous ethics counseling, including as it relates to any future employment. I’ve complied with all ethics requirements and gone beyond and taken steps to recuse myself from decisions as appropriate.”

Another reporter pressed harder. “How can you continue to be an effective briefer if you do have plans to join a media outlet? How is it ethical to have these conversations while you continue to stand behind that podium?”

“There are a range of stringent ethical and legal requirements imposed on everybody in this administration about conversations with future employers. That is true of any industry,” Psaki said. “I have abided by those and tried to go beyond that as well.”

When asked directly if she was leaving, Psaki said: “I have nothing to confirm about my length of public service or next plans."

"Decarbonization Agenda Very Much Alive”

An economic advisor confirmed the administration’s long-term strategy had not changed despite the energy crisis. “The idea of the President’s clean energy and sustainable economy decarbonization agenda is very much alive, very much ongoing,” the advisor said. “We simply cannot give any sort of short shrift to our clean energy agenda.”

The advisor described the SPR release as “a bridge” — prompting the obvious question. “A bridge to what?” a reporter asked. “Long-term, our focus is on clean energy. That’s why the President invoked the DPA to get battery parts for electric vehicles,” the advisor said.

An oil industry analyst explained why this wasn’t working. “That was not the answer the oil industry was looking for. The answer shifted away from fossil fuels. So how are they going to ramp up production, and why can you say prices are going to be cheaper in the future when there aren’t any friendlier energy policies?” the analyst said.

“It’s not sending the signal to lenders that this is a safe place for investment,” the analyst continued. “That’s the sort of language they’re looking for — ‘we want to increase domestic production.’ That’s what they need to hear.”

Still Below Pre-Pandemic Employment

A reporter noted jobs still hadn’t recovered to pre-pandemic levels. “We’re still not back. They’re still 1.6 million or 1% below their pre-pandemic level,” Psaki acknowledged.

Key Takeaways

Doocy exposed the “Putin price hike” timeline: inflation hit 7.9% in February before the invasion on the 24th, and March data wouldn’t be available until April 12.
Multiple reporters questioned the ethics of Psaki negotiating an MSNBC job while briefing from the White House podium; she said she had “gone over and above” ethics requirements.
An economic advisor confirmed the “decarbonization agenda is very much alive” — using the energy crisis to accelerate, not reverse, the clean energy transition.
Oil industry analysts said the administration was “not sending the signal to lenders that this is a safe place for investment” in fossil fuels.
Jobs remained 1.6 million below pre-pandemic levels.

Transcript Highlights

The following is transcribed from the video audio (unverified — AI-generated from audio).

Inflation was 7.9% in February. Putin didn’t invade until the 24th. How are people supposed to believe the Putin price hike when the timeline doesn’t add up?
Is it ethical to continue this job while negotiating with the media? I have gone over and above the stringent ethical requirements.
The decarbonization agenda is very much alive, very much ongoing. We cannot give short shrift to our clean energy agenda.
It’s not sending the signal to lenders that this is a safe place for investment. That’s the language the oil industry needs to hear.
It hasn’t happened yet. This is the first time we’ve heard the President blame Putin for food prices.
Jobs are still 1.6 million below their pre-pandemic level.

Full transcript: 1334 words transcribed via Whisper AI.