CNN anchor cautions Biden on defending economy
CNN anchor John King cautioned Biden to be careful in how he talks about his economic record because it could turn off voters.
CNN anchor John King warned President Biden that his defense of "Bidenomics" could come back to haunt him in November, as voters across the political spectrum continue to express dissatisfaction with the economy.
Biden staunchly defended his administration's record on the economy during an interview with CNN on Wednesday. "We've already turned [it] around," he told CNN's Erin Burnett, despite polls that consistently show Americans aren't happy about the economy and have greater trust in his 2024 rival, former President Trump, on the issue.
Appearing on CNN on Thursday, King cautioned Biden to "be careful" not to come across as a Washington elitist scolding voters.
"That sounds like somebody in Washington telling people, ‘you’re wrong.’ Whatever your party is, voters don‘t process it that way. They don‘t like that," he said.
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CNN anchor John King warned President Biden to be careful in how he talks about the economy to not come across as scolding voters. (Getty Images)
"Definitely don’t like being told they’re wrong because it’s how they’re actually experiencing the economy personally," show host Sara Sidner agreed.
King said that he's talked with voters in nine states along the campaign trail and found that inflation and the cost of living is still a top concern, even among voters in Biden's base.
"The inflation drag, the cost of living drag is still giant out in America, and they don't like people in Washington telling them they're wrong," he continued.
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A Bloomberg News/Morning Consult poll released at the end of April indicated Biden is ahead in only one of the seven swing states that may decide the 2024 presidential election, as pessimism about the economy continues to grow.
An April poll by NBC News found voters preferred Trump over Biden to handle the economy. (Getty Images)
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The poll also showed 1 in 5 respondents believe inflation and interest rates will decrease this year and over 75% of respondents said Biden is responsible for the poor economy.
A Fox News poll in March also showed only 38 percent of Americans approve of Biden's handling of the economy.
Former Obama adviser and CNN political analyst David Axelrod also took aim at Biden's messaging while on the network on Wednesday.
"I think he's making a terrible mistake," Axelrod said of Biden boasting about his economic record. "If he doesn't win this race, it may not be Donald Trump that beats him. It may be his own pride."
Fox News' Alexander Hall and Joseph A. Wulfsohn contributed to this report.
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