THE NEW NORMAL IS NOT GOING TO
BE WHAT IT IS NOW.
IT WILL BE BETTER.
THANK YOU.
[REPORTERS SHOUTING QUESTIONS]
>> Harris: THE END OF THAT WAS
NOT HELPFUL.
COVID IS NOT HERE TO STAY BUT
IT MAY BE HERE TO STAY AROUND
THE WORLD BUT IT IS NOT HERE TO
STAY THE WAY IT IS NOW.
I DON’T KNOW THAT HE HELPED ANY
MESSAGING THERE.
LET’S GET INTO THE MONEY,
AMERICAN’S MONEY.
YOU HEARD THE PRESIDENT TALKING
ABOUT THE ECONOMIC RECOVER
REDESPITE 199,000 JOBS ADDED IN
DECEMBER.
FAR FEWER BY HALF OF WHAT
ECONOMISTS WERE PROJECTING.
IT MARKS THE SECOND STRAIGHT
MONTH WHERE JOB GROWTH HAS
FALLEN BELOW EXPECTATIONS
BECAUSE SO MANY HAVE QUIT THE
WORKFORCE.
WE HAVE A LOT OF OPENINGS.
3.6 MILLION.
WILL THOSE WORKERS COME BACK?
STEVE FORBES CHAIRMAN OF FORBES
MEDIA WITH HIS INITIAL
REACTIONS TO THE PRESIDENT.
>> WELL, IT REALLY IS -- A LOT
OF IT IS A FAIRYTALE.
BEFORE THE COVID CRISIS HIT
AMERICAN UNEMPLOYMENT WAS LOWER.
LOWER INCOME, PEOPLE’S WAGES
WERE RISING AT A FASTER PACE
THAN THE REST OF THE WORKFORCE
AND THINGS WERE GOING IN THE
RIGHT DIRECTION.
HE HAS HOBBLED RECOVERY FROM
COVID AS LOCKDOWNS ENDED.
LOCKDOWNS ON OIL AND GAS IS
RAISING ENERGY COSTS, THE BUILD
BACK BETTER WHICH IS THE BIDEN
BIG BILL MASSIVE TAX INCREASES
WOULD HURT JOB CREATION AND THE
GROWTH OF THE ECONOMY.
MASSIVE SPENDING HE WANTS AND
WANTS MORE OF WILL MEAN MORE
MONEY PRINTING WHICH WILL MEAN
MORE INFLATION DOWN THE ROAD AS
THE FEDERAL RESERVE HAS TO
FINANCE THE DEFICITS.
YOU PUT IT ALL TOGETHER HE HAS
TAKEN SOMETHING WHERE IF HE HAD
DONE NOTHING HE WOULD LOOK LIKE
A HERO TODAY.
THEY ARE STANDING IN THE WAY OF
RECOVERY RATHER THAN ENHANCING
IT.
THEY THROW ROADBLOCKS TO IT.
THE VACCINE MANDATE THE WAY IT
WAS DONE.
A COUNTRY LIKE SPAIN DID
PERSUASION TO HAVE PEOPLE GET
VACCINES.
HERE PUBLIC SHAMING.
PEOPLE LEAVING THE WORKFORCE
BECAUSE OF THOSE VAX
REQUIREMENTS.
YOU HAVE CONFUSION.
THEY DIDN’T DO THE TESTING
PRODUCTION RIGHT EVEN THOUGH
THEY KNEW WEEKS AGO THERE WOULD
BE A SEASONAL UPSURGE IN COVID.
SO HE IS TURNING A BAD
SITUATION THE BEST WAY HE CAN
GIVE HIM CREDIT THEY’RE TRYING
TO PUT THE LIPSTICK ON THE PIG
BUT UNFORTUNATELY THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE KNOW WHEN THEY GET TO
THE MARKETPLACE WHAT THEY SEE
IN TERMS OF PRICES.
>> Harris: FROM YOUR EXPERTISE
WE ARE LEARNING AS WELL AND
OTHER ANALYSTS WE’RE TALKING TO.
THE PRESIDENT IS ENTITLED TO
HIS OWN TAKE ON THINGS BUT NOT
ENTITLED TO HIS OWN FACTS.
THAT’S THE CHALLENGE HERE,
RIGHT?
WE KNOW IN OCTOBER 4.1, IN
DECEMBER 4.5 PEOPLE QUIT JOBS.
SOME OF THOSE PLACES HAVE GONE
OUT OF BUSINESS.
SO THE OPENINGS MAY NOT ALWAYS
MATCH HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE
LEAVING THE WORKFORCE IS WHAT
I’M READING.
I DO WANT TO GET TO THIS
BECAUSE I SAW ALMOST LIKE A
ONE-ON-ONE MATCH WITH SOME
POLLING.
YOU SAW THE PRESIDENT TRY TO
EXPLAIN THE COST OF MEAT.
FROM HIS OWN ADMISSION A FAMILY
MEMBER, SOME DISTANT FAMILY
MEMBER ON HIS WIFE’S SAID HAD
TO EXPLAIN TO HIM THE COST OF
MEAT.
NO IDEA HOW HIGH EVERYTHING IS.
>> THAT’S THE BUBBLE THEY’RE IN.
A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO ONE OF
THE OFFICIALS SAID RISING
PRICES SHOW PEOPLE ARE EARNING
AND SPENDING MORE AND WHY
PRICES ARE GOING UP.
IGNORING THE FACT THE INCREASE
IS PRICES IS EXCEEDING PEOPLE’S
WAGES.
MEAT PRICES, THEY’LL BE BLAMING
-- IN ROMAN TIMES THEY BLAMED
CHRISTIANS AND MEDIEVAL TIMES
WITCHES.
NOW THEY BLAME MEAT PRODUCERS
AND GAS PRODUCERS AND THE
FINGER POINTS AT THEM BUT
THEY’LL TRY TO SCAPEGOAT TO
AVOID GAME.
>> Harris: I DON’T KNOW IF YOU
SENT A FRUIT BASKET WITH
MIRRORS IN IT SO THEY COULD SEE
THEMSELVES.
>> THIS IS A CONVERSATION ABOUT
OUR WORKFORCE AND THE
IMBALANCED NATURE OF IT AND THE
WAY THAT’S GOING TO IMPACT
EVERY SINGLE AMERICAN WHO
SHARES MY ADDICTION TO SMOOTH
ROADS, INDOOR PLUMBING,
AFFORDABLE ELECTRICITY AND SO
FORTH.
>> Harris: STEVE.
>> THE PRESIDENT TALKS ABOUT
HIS GREAT SPENDING BILLS ON
INFRASTRUCTURE.
THAT SO-CALLED INFRASTRUCTURE
BILL ONLY ABOUT 8% WENT FOR
REAL THINGS LIKE HIGHWAYS AND
BRIDGES.
THE REST WERE ALL OTHER THINGS
THAT HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH
REAL INFRASTRUCTURE.
IF THEY WANT TO FOCUS ON REAL
THINGS HAVE A REAL
INFRASTRUCTURE BILL.
REMOVE THE OBSTACLES TO
BUILDING ROADS AND BRIDGES
WHICH THEY DON’T SUFFICIENTLY
ADDRESS.
>> Harris: WE’RE UP AGAINST THE
TOP OF THE HOUR HERE.
THE PRESIDENT JUST SAID BACK
AND FORTH OH, COVID IS NOT
HERE, OH COVID IS HERE AROUND
THE WORLD BUT NOT LIKE THIS.
IT SEEMS TO HAVE AN IMPACT ON
THE MARKET.
WHY?
>> WELL, BECAUSE IF YOU DON’T
REALIZE WHAT THE REALITY IS,
GUESS WHAT?
THE MARKETS DON’T LIKE
UNCERTAINTY AND CAN LEAD TO BAD
POLICIES THAT YOU’VE SEEN WITH
THIS ADMINISTRATION ALREADY.
THEY’VE BOTCHED VACCINES AND
TESTINGS AND THE WHOLE MASK
POLICY.
TALKED ABOUT WE OPEN SCHOOLS.
THEY CAVED TO THE UNIONS.
THE SCHOOLS SHOULD HAVE BEEN
OPEN A YEAR AGO BUT THEY CAVED
TO THE UNIONS.
>> Harris: STEVE FORBES, THANK