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Sen. J.D. Vance torched a New York Times reporter during a rally in Michigan on Wednesday who tried to get his response to a slightly positive economic report that hit this week.

The reporter inquired about the latest economic data, which reported inflation at under 3%, the lowest level since mid-2021. But what was intended as a straightforward request for comment became a platform for former President Donald Trump’s running mate to criticize the current administration.

“I wanted to ask you about the latest economic news from this morning, with inflation now being under 3%, the lowest rate since mid-2021. What is your reaction to that news?” the Times reporter asked, which led to a round of boos and jeers from the crowd.

“Well, I think the crowd reaction says it all,” Vance began, gesturing to the energized audience’s audible boos to the question. “Look, when they say that inflation is down, they mean from a baseline where groceries are already 30% more expensive than they were when Donald Trump was president. And they’re not saying it’s coming down, they’re just saying it’s not going up as fast as it was three years ago. That is not a reputation or a record to brag on, that’s a record to be ashamed of.”

In July, inflation showed signs of moderation, with notable drops in price increases for essentials such as food, energy, and both new and used cars. According to the U.S. Department of Labor’s report released on Wednesday, the consumer price index, which measures inflation, increased by 2.9% from the previous year. While prices increased at a slower rate, Vance is correct in noting that they still rose. To return to pre-Biden-Harris administration price levels, a period of deflation would be necessary, given the two years of Democratic control of Congress after Biden-Harris won.

“Why did it take them so long to get inflation to where it is, and why are prices so high? It’s because Kamala Harris failed to do her job,” Vance said. “So if they want to go around and this is, you know, it’s funny… Kamala Harris on the one hand will say on day one we’re going to tackle the affordability crisis and like I said earlier Kamala Harris has been the vice president for three and a half years, and I think, ladies and gentlemen, she’s in effect been the acting president because we all know Joe Biden isn’t home. So she’s been the one controlling government policy for three and a half years.”

“She says she wants to tackle the affordability crisis on day one, and then on the other hand, she’ll say, well, we’ve already got inflation under control. Well, which is it, Kamala? Which is it?” Vance asked. “The simple truth is America’s credit card debt is getting higher. Americans are finding the basic necessities in middle-class life less affordable. Americans are becoming, especially young people, are becoming paupers in their own country. If we don’t do better, our young generation, they’re not going to own anything, they’re not going to have anything, they’re going to be renters in the country that their parents and grandparents built. Inflation is a disaster.”

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Meanwhile, the jobless rate unexpectedly increased to its highest point in over three years while U.S. job creation abruptly slowed in July as well.

According to Labor Department data released on Friday, employers added 114,000 jobs in July, falling short of the 175,000 gain forecast by LSEG economists. In addition, the jobless rate unexpectedly increased to 4.3% from 4.1%, despite predictions that it would remain stable—another blow to the Biden-Harris administration as she attempts to campaign on improving the economy, which has long been the top 2024 issue for most Americans.

“It marked the highest level for the jobless rate since October 2021,” Fox Business reported.

“Temperatures might be hot around the country, but there’s no summer heatwave for the job market,” said ManpowerGroup North America president Becky Frankiewicz. “With across-the-board cooling, we have lost most of the gains we saw from the first quarter of the year.”

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