Conservative commentator Scott Jennings turned a heated CNN panel discussion into a pointed lesson on inflation history Wednesday night, even extracting a reluctant on-air concession from anchor Abby Phillip.
The clash began when former Clinton White House aide and CNN commentator Keith Boykin sought to blame President Trump for the nation’s economic pain, rattling off a list of grievances that included rising debt, gas prices, and unemployment. Jennings cut him off mid-sentence.
“Inflation’s down, actually,” Jennings said, interrupting Boykin’s talking points.
Boykin countered that inflation stood at 3 percent when Biden took office, a framing that ignored the inflation spike that occurred during Biden’s tenure. Phillip jumped in to support Boykin, insisting inflation is “higher today than it was when Trump took office.”
Jennings pressed the panel with a simple question: “What was the highest rate during Biden?” Boykin dodged the question twice, accusing Jennings of deflecting while repeating the 3 percent figure.
“There was no inflation during Biden,” Jennings joked. “You heard it here on CNN.”
The remark landed because it exposed the panel’s selective memory, according to PJ Media’s account of the exchange. The same commentators who spent years downplaying price pressures under Biden were now decrying them under Trump.
Then came the notable moment: Phillip conceded the point herself. “Inflation was very high under Biden,” she admitted. “But when Donald Trump came into office, it was lower than it is today.”
Jennings seized on the admission. “So you admit that it went up under Biden and it’s lower now,” he said. Phillip tried to deflect, asking why anyone was “arguing over things that don’t need to be argued about.”
The exchange highlights a recurring pattern in Democratic messaging, according to the report. Critics note that inflation concerns only seem to surface when a Republican occupies the White House, even though price increases began under Biden’s watch.
Jennings later posted a fact check on X, citing roughly 21 percent cumulative inflation under Biden, including a 40-year-high rate of 9.1 percent. Under Trump, inflation was 2.7 percent last year and stands at 3.4 percent today, largely attributable to the energy shock from the Iran war, Jennings wrote.
The segment reflects a broader debate over how each administration’s economic record is framed. Supporters of Trump’s policies point to lower inflation figures during his term, while critics argue that current price levels still burden consumers.
For Jennings, the moment was a rare instance of a panelist being forced to acknowledge what many Americans experienced firsthand during the Biden years: grocery bills climbing, rent rising, and wages struggling to keep pace.
Source: pjmedia.com — https://pjmedia.com/matt-margolis/2026/08/20/scott-jennings-schools-cnn-panel-on-bidens-inflation-disaster-n4956345
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