President Joe Biden sought to reshape perceptions of the U.S. economy in an exclusive interview on Wednesday, touting strong job growth and efforts to combat corporate greed while saying voters remain pessimistic about the country’s direction. He questioned the research that showed this.
“We’ve already turned things around,” Biden told CNN’s Erin Burnett in Racine, Wisconsin, as he pushes for new economic investments that could bring thousands of new jobs. Ta.
He responded to a question about whether, with less than six months until Election Day, there is not enough time to improve his standing among Americans on his response to the economy.
Biden pointed to polls showing that even though many Americans view the national economy negatively, they view their own economic situation favorably.
He questioned the validity of telephone surveys, saying, “The poll data has always been wrong.”
And he said his record on job creation after the COVID-19 pandemic is a clear indicator that conditions for American workers have significantly improved.
“The idea that we are in such a bad situation is that we have created more jobs. We are in a situation where people have access to well-paying jobs,” he said. said.
Still, he acknowledged that Americans have good reason to be concerned, including the cost of goods and housing.
“The last thing I see is inflation and the cost of inflation, a combination of all these things, that people are really worried about, and for good reason.”
“That’s why I’m working hard to lower rents and increase the number of homes available,” he continued. “Let me say this: When I started this administration, people said the economy was going to collapse. We have the strongest economy in the world. Let me say it again. , in this world.”
Mr. Biden has spent much of the last year promoting his economic achievements, including new investments made possible by infrastructure and manufacturing legislation.
That includes Wisconsin, where he spoke Wednesday at the site where his predecessor, Donald Trump, once promoted an investment by Taiwan-based electronics giant Foxconn that later failed.
But surveys show voters have little appreciation for Biden’s performance.
CNN’s latest poll shows that Biden’s approval ratings on the economy (34%) and inflation (29%) remain significantly negative, with voters focusing more on the economy than they did under the past two presidents when choosing a candidate. concerns are more important. Contest.
“No president has ever done a better job creating jobs and lowering inflation,” Biden said Wednesday.
“When I came into the office it was 9%. 9%. But listen, people have a right to be concerned. Ordinary people.”
In fact, inflation peaked at 9.1% in June 2022, but was 1.4% in January 2021, when Biden took office.
He emphasized efforts to combat fees on things like bank accounts and credit cards, which the White House says will lower Americans’ bills.
“Is the idea that if you return a check, there’s a $30 fee? I changed that – you can’t charge more than $8 for it. Or your credit card. Your payment is late. $35. So there’s corporate greed going on out there and we have to deal with it,” he said.
This is breaking news and will be updated.
For more CNN news and newsletters, create an account at CNN.com.