CNBC Host Calls Out Biden Advisor To Her Face As She Tries To Explain Why Biden Has Souring Poll Numbers

CNBC’s Joe Kernen called out White House economic advisor Heather Boushey on Wednesday as she tried to explain why President Joe Biden’s approval rating is sinking.

Recent polling from Reuters/Ipsos shows Biden with a 41 percent approval rating among voters, with the economy and inflation ranking as top concerns. The poll, published on June 7, surveyed 1,056 adults.

Co-host Rebecca Quick asked Boushey to refute the argument that the American Rescue Plan caused some of the inflation currently plaguing the U.S. economy. Boushey argued that the plan helped accelerate job growth and real wage increases and noted that inflation also affected other countries.

“[Biden] has prioritized inflation, but what he’s prioritized as well is making sure that we get this economy back on track, we get people back into jobs, we provide that economic security so that families can thrive and doing so in a way that’s allowing American business to thrive, with the massive investments that we’ve seen across the country because of that suite of legislative policies that the president has put into place,” she said. “We’re now up, I believe, $490 billion of private sector investment all across the country to do those investments in semiconductors and clean energy.” (RELATED: ‘We’re Trying To Understand’: CNBC Host Grills Biden Advisor Over Key Piece Of ‘Bidenomics’)

“What do you think the average person would need to see to change their – how they feel, their perspective? This is what we deal with a lot. And you can say polls are — one day they’re one thing — but consistently the president’s approval rating for economic issues is underwater, and lately it’s been below 40 percent. So, do they – I mean, I don’t think you’d say that they don’t know how they feel about things, or that they’re incorrect in feeling concern or feeling like they’re having trouble making ends meet because of inflation. You would identify with them, but how come they don’t seem to be clued in on all the great things that are happening?” co-host Joe Kernen asked.

“I was – I did not say that – I mean, certainly when we’re looking at polls, and we’re understanding how people feel, the place I always start is the fact that the vast majority of Americans get the vast majority of their income from holding down a job,” Boushey argued. “That provides the economic security for them and their families and that is one of the reasons that the president prioritized getting the economy back on track and getting people back into jobs. And as a result we have seen historic labor force participation. We haven’t seen this many women — in their prime age working years, 25-54 — we haven’t seen this many women participating in the labor force going back to 1948 when we started tabulating this data just after World War II, just as one indication.”

The administration is seeking to tout its economic record, with Biden slated to give a speech Wednesday detailing “Bidenomics.” The administration also announced Monday that it would spend $40 billion to invest in high-speed internet.