♪ ♪ >> Tucker: GOOD EVENING AND WELCOME TO "TUCKER CARLSON TONIGHT." YOU THINK YOU'VE GOT A TOUGH JOB? IMAGINE BEING JOE BIDEN'S HANDLERS. HE SPENT ALL DAY TRY TO KEEP THE GUY AWAY FROM HOT MIKE'S. THAT'S NOT EASY. BIDEN FEELS ABOUT MICROPHONES THE WAY GOLDEN RETRIEVER'S FEEL ABOUT CASSEROLES GREATLY ONE ON THE LOW TABLE AND HE POUNCES ON IT. THAT'S NOT GOOD FOR ANYONE. TELL ISRAELI OFFICIALS TO KEEP ALIVE THE HONOR OF THE HOLOCAUST. THERE'S NEVER ANY UPSIDE LETTING JOE BIDEN SPEAK IN PUBLIC. UNFORTUNATE FOR THE WAREHOUSE SOMETIMES YOU DON'T HAVE A CHOICE. DISASTERS HAPPEN AND WHEN THEY DO, THE PUBLIC EXPECT SOMEBODY TO PRETEND TO BE PRESIDENT. THE AMERICAN ECONOMY IS CURRENTLY A DISASTER. THEREFORE JOE BIDEN HAD TO TALK. SO HIS AIDES DUTIFULLY LET HIM OUT TO THE PODIUM TO THE AGENCY SOMETHING EDIFYING ABOUT IT. WHAT HAPPENED NEXT HAS GOT TO BE ONE OF THE WEIRDEST RESIDENTIAL BRIEFINGS EVER CONDUCTED. NEW ECONOMIC NUMBERS SHOW THE GDP HAS DECLINED FOR TWO QUARTERS IN A ROW. THAT'S THE DEFINITION OF A RECESSION. WE ARE IN A RECESSION. THAT'S WHY JOE BIDEN HAD TO HOLD THE BRIEFING. YET BIDEN NEVER ONCE MENTIONED THOSE NUMBERS, NOT A SINGLE TIME. IT WAS COMPLETELY BIZARRE. BIDEN ANNOUNCED THERE IS NO RECESSION IN THE UNITED STATES NO MATTER WHAT YOU MAY HAVE NOTICED ABOUT YOUR OWN COUNTRY. I REPEAT THERE IS NO RECESSION. THANKS TO THE LEADERSHIP OF JOE BIDEN WE CAN ANNOUNCE RECORD POTATO HARVESTS. AND THEN BIDEN LEFT THE STAGE. >> LET ME SPEAK TO ONE OTHER ISSUE. THE GDP. AND WHETHER OR NOT WE ARE IN A RECESSION. BOTH CHAIRMAN POWELL AND MANY OF THE SIGNIFICANT BANKING PERSONNEL AND ECONOMISTS SAY WE ARE NOT IN A RECESSION. LET ME JUST GIVE YOU WHAT THE FACTS ARE. IN TERMS OF THE STATE OF THE ECONOMY. NUMBER ONE, LEAVE A RECORD JOB MARKET. RECORD UNEMPLOYMENT OF 3.6% TODAY. AND THE INFLATION REDUCTION ACT WILL ADD ANOTHER $370 BILLION IN CLEAN ENERGY TAX CREDITS AND RECONCILIATION. INCLUDING INCENTIVES TO ACCELERATE DOMESTIC PRODUCTION OF SOLAR PANELS, WIND TURBINES, BATTERIES, AND CRITICAL MATERIALS PROCESS. THAT DOESN'T SOUND LIKE A RECESSION TO ME. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. >> Tucker: C, DUMBO? SIGNIFICANT BANKING PERSONNEL SAY WE ARE NOT IN A RECESSION. PLUS WHEN TAR BITES, IF YOU DON'T BELIEVE THAT, 3.6% ON EMPLOYMENT. WE ARE WINNING. PAY NO ATTENTION TO THE MILLIONS OF FORMER WORKERS BEING PAID BY THE GOVERNMENT TO STAY HOME LEAVING BUSINESSES WITHOUT ANYONE TO STAFF THEM. WHY IS THE ICE CREAM STAND NEAR YOUR HOUSE CLOSE TO JULY? WELFARE PAYS MORE THAN SCOOPING ICE CREAM DOES BUT IGNORE THAT. THE ECONOMY IS IN GREAT SHAPE. IF THERE'S ONE THING THAT MIGHT MAKE IT BETTER, IT'S PRINTING BILLIONS MORE IN FAKE MONEY WHICH WILL DEFINITELY NOT ACCELERATE OUR ALREADY TERRIFYING LEVEL OF INSULATION. THAT'S WHY WE ARE CALLING IT THE INFLATION REDUCTION ACT. BECAUSE MORE MONEY IN THE SYSTEM WILL REDUCE INFLATION AT WILL AND IT WILL BECAUSE WE SAY IT WILL. BECAUSE WHAT MATTERS IS NOT THE WAY THINGS ACTUALLY ARE. WHAT MATTERS ARE THE WORDS WE USE TO DESCRIBE THINGS. WE CAN CHANGE REALITY MERELY BY CALLING IT SOMETHING ELSE. IF WE CALL A MAN A WOMAN, THAT'S WHAT SHE HAS. IF WE CALL AN OPEN BORDER A SECURE BORDER, THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE. AS YOU SAW, IF WE TELL YOU A COLLAPSING ECONOMY IS A ROBUST ECONOMY, THEN IT'S TIME TO CELEBRATE OUR NEWFOUND PROSPERITY AND FEEL FREE TO BUY CHAMPAGNE ON YOUR EBT CARD. IT'S ON US. IT TURNS OUT WHEN YOU THINK YOU'RE GONE, ALL THAT MATTERS IS WHAT YOU SAY, YOUR COMMANDS. IN THE BEGINNING WAS THE WORD. THIS WEEK THE WORD WAS DEFINITELY NOT RECESSION. THAT WORD IS NOW INOPERATIVE. IT IS OBSOLETE AND FRANKLY IT'S EMBARRASSING. IT IS LIKE STEWARDESS OR FIREMAN OR THE ORIENT. IT'S NOT SOMETHING YOU SAY AROUND EDUCATED PEOPLE. TO HERALD THIS IMPORTANT NEW CHANGE TO OUR LANGUAGE, JULY 21ST THE WHITE HOUSE OFFICIALLY CHANGE THE DEFINITION OF RECESSION. THEY SAID IT. IN A BLOG POST OFFICIALS OF PLANE THAT TWO CONSECUTIVE QUARTERS OF DECLINING GDP IS "NEITHER THE OFFICIAL DEFINITION OR THE WAY ECONOMISTS EVALUATE THE STATE OF THE BUSINESS CYCLE." NOT CONVINCED? YOU'RE NOT WATCHING TELEVISION BECAUSE EVERY OFFICIAL IN THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION, ALL THESE CREDENTIALED ECONOMISTS, WENT ON CAMERA TO SWEAR IT WAS TRUE. >> I DO WANT TO EMPHASIZE WHAT A RECESSION REALLY MEANS IS A BROAD-BASED CONTRACTION IN THE ECONOMY. EVEN IF THAT NUMBER IS NEGATIVE, WE ARE NOT IN A RECESSION NOW. >> CERTAINLY IN TERMS OF THE TECHNICAL DEFINITION IT'S NOT A RECESSION. THE TECHNICAL DEFINITION CONSIDERS A MUCH BROADER SPECTRUM OF DATA POINTS. >> THE IDEA THAT TWO QUARTERS OF NEGATIVE GDP IS A TECHNICAL DEFINITION OF A RECESSION IS WRONG. >> THINGS ARE GOING SO GREAT, THEN WHY ISN'T THE WHITE HOUSE OFFICIALS TRYING TO REDEFINE RECESSION? >> WE ARE NOT REDEFINING RECESSION. >> IF WE UNDERSTAND TO BE TWO CONSECUTIVE QUARTERS OF NEGATIVE GDP GROWTH IN A ROW AND THEN YOU HAVE WHITE HOUSE OFFICIALS SAY NO, THAT'S NOT WHAT A RECESSION IS. IT'S SOMETHING ELSE. HOW IS THAT NOT REDEFINING RECESSION? >> IT'S NOT THE DEFINITION. >> Tucker: IGNORE THAT. IGNORE HOW MIND-BOGGLING LEE REPULSIVE SHE IS, IGNORE ALL THE WORK SHE HAS DONE HERSELF TO DESTROY THE AMERICAN ECONOMY WHEN SHE RAN THE FEDERAL RESERVE. LISTEN TO WHAT THEY ARE SAYING. TWO CONSECUTIVE QUARTERS OF DECLINING GDP, THAT'S NOT THE DEFINITION OF A RECESSION. REALLY? WE THOUGHT IT WAS. WE THOUGHT THAT FOR ABOUT 50 YEARS. NO. TURNS OUT WE ARE INSANE. WE ARE HALLUCINATING. LUCY IN THE SKY WITH DIAMONDS STUFF. THIS IS FROM POLITICAL. THE WHITE HOUSE IS PRETTY OBVIOUSLY RIGHT THAT EVEN TWO QUARTERS OF SHRINKING GDP WOULD NOT SHOW THE ECONOMY IS CURRENTLY IN A RECESSION. THAT'S THE WORD FROM BEN WHITE, THE CHIEF ECONOMICS REPORTER AT POLITICO. HE IS BACKED UP BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS WHICH IS TOTALLY REAL PAGES TODAY THE AP REPORTED THAT "THE U.S. ECONOMY SHRANK FOR A SECOND STRAIGHT QUARTER RAISING FEARS THE NATION MAY BE APPROACHING A RECESSION." WE ARE GETTING CLOSE NOW. IN OTHER WORDS, TO DECLINING QUARTERS OF GROWTH IS NOT A RECESSION. JUST LIKE THE WHITE HOUSE SAID. THAT SOUNDS DEFINITIVE. IT'S ALWAYS BEEN THAT WAY. AS LONG AS YOU DON'T HAVE A MEMORY THAT EXTENDS PAST LAST WEEK BECAUSE JUST A FEW WEEKS AGO BEFORE THE WHITE HOUSE DECLARED OTHERWISE, EVERYONE IS SAYING DIFFERENTLY. INCLUDING BEN WHITE. IN THE AP. THEY ARE STILL USING THE TERM STEWARDESS. THEY WERE USING OLD DEFINITION. DO YOU WANT EXAMPLES? JUNE 22 OF THIS YEAR. THIS SAME BEN WHITE, ASSUMING HE'S REAL, WROTE IN POLITICO "I'M SORRY TO REPORT THAT THE CONDITIONS ARE RIGHT FOR A SLIDING GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT GROWTH THAT LASTS AT LEAST TWO QUARTERS, THE TECHNICAL DEFINITION OF RECESSION." BEN WHITE. COULD THAT BE THE SAME BEN WHITE? IN JANUARY OF THIS YEAR, THE AP REPORTS THE SAME THING. "MEXICO'S ECONOMY ENTERED A TECHNICAL RECESSION AT THE END OF LAST WITH TWO CONSECUTIVE QUARTERS OF CONTRACTION." WOW. TURNS OUT THAT WAS THE DEFINITION PRIOR TO TWO WEEKS AGO. IT HAS BEEN THE DEFINITION FOR DICTATES. YOU'LL FIND IT IN EVERY ECONOMIC TEXTBOOK EVER WRITTEN. HERE'S ONE EXAMPLE. FRENCH ECONOMY FALLS BACK INTO RECESSION. THE AP REPORTED IN 2013. HERE'S A DIRECT QUOTE. "A RECESSION IS DEFINED AS TWO CONSECUTIVE QUARTERS OF NEGATIVE GROWTH." WHOA, WHOA, YOU'RE NOT INSANE. NO ONE DOES TO YOU. YOU'RE NOT HALLUCINATING. EVEN TO AN UNUSED TO. CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT JOHN HARWOOD. USED TO RUN WITH THAT DEFINITION. ECONOMIST HAVE A TECHNICAL DEFINITION OF RECESSION WHICH IS TWO CONSECUTIVE QUARTERS OF NEGATIVE GROWTH. HE WROTE THAT BACK IN 2008. UNFORTUNATELY FOR HIM WE FOUND IT. THIS WEEK EVERYTHING'S DIFFERENT BECAUSE HE CAN'T SAY STEWARDESS ANYMORE SO THE NEW POSITION IS "TOO NEGATIVE QUARTERS OF GDP GROWTH IS NOT A TECHNICAL DEFINITION OF RECESSION." WELL, OKAY, IF YOU SAY SO BECAUSE IN THE BEGINNING WAS THE WORD, YOU ARE GOD NOW. IT DOES RAISE THAT QUESTION. IF IT'S NOT A RECESSION, WHAT IS IT? FOR THIS AND ALL OTHER IMPORTANT MATTERS, WE GO TO THE WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY WHO INFORMS US IS NOT A RECESSION. IT'S "A TRANSITION." >> WHEN YOU LOOK AT IT MORE BROADLY AT THE DATA AND THAT'S WHY WE ARE FORESEEING WHAT WE'RE SAYING IS THAT WE ARE IN A TRANSITION. >> Tucker: WE ARE IN A TRANSITION. DOES THAT MEAN THE WHOLE COUNTRY IS TAKING PUBERTY BLOCKERS AND BECOMING A GIRL? NO, DIFFERENT KIND OF TRANSITION. THIS IS THE TRANSITION TO GREEN ENERGY AND RENEWABLES. JOE BIDEN ANNOUNCED IT'S A TRANSITION TO HAVING CHINA ARE ENERGY GOOD. OH, THAT'S A TRANSITION. SOME MIGHT CALL IT THE COLLAPSE OF EMPIRE AT A SUBSEQUENT DISASTER WHERE WE ARE RULED BY PEOPLE WHO HATE US. NO, IT'S A TRANSITION IN WHICH CHINA GETS TO MAKE CONTROL THAT WIND TURBINES, LITHIUM, SOLAR PANELS. WHAT DO ACTUAL VOTERS THINK? WHO CARES BECAUSE THAT ONLY MATTERS IN A DEMOCRACY BUT WILL TELL YOU ANYWAY. AMERICANS DO NOT WANT TO HAND OUR ENERGY GRID TO CHINA OR STOP USING AIR CONDITIONING IN SUMMER OR DRIVE YOUR STUPID LITTLE ELECTRIC CARS. RIGHT BECAUSE TURNS OUT NO ONE BELIEVES THE EXPERTS WHO HAVE TOLD US THE WORLD IS GOING TO END FOR THE PAST 50 YEARS. STILL BUYING BEACHFRONT PROPERTY. MOST PEOPLE UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN NEXT. THEY COULD BECOME SRI LANKA, A COUNTRY THAT DESTROYED ITSELF IN PURSUIT OF A HIGH ESG SCORE. IT TURNS OUT ACTUAL PEOPLE OF BOTH PARTIES JUST NORMAL PEOPLE WANT TO DO THINGS LIKE AFFORD GASOLINE OR HAVE SOME PLACE TO LIVE THEY CAN AFFORD. WHAT JOE BIDEN TOUCH THEY WILL GIVE US MUCH CLOSER TO SRI LANKA. THERE'S KIND OF NOTICE BIT ABOUT THAT. WE ALSO KNOW FOR CERTAIN THAT THE SPENDING UNDER THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION AND PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS BUT CERTAINLY DRAMATICALLY UNDER BIDEN HAS DEVALUE THE DOLLAR TO THE POINT THAT WE HAVE MASSIVE INFLATION AND A DECLINING GDP BECAUSE AS MONEY LOSES VALUE AND THINGS GET MORE EXPENSIVE, PEOPLE AT SOME POINT CAN AFFORD TO BUY AS MUCH. AND THEN GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT DECLINES. IT'S NOT LIKE SOME CRAZY THEORY. IN FACT EVEN THE FEDERAL RESERVE BANK IN SAN FRANCISCO, HARDLY A RIGHT-WING INSTITUTION, AS POINTED OUT THAT JOE BIDEN'S SPENDING IN HIS FIRST YEAR IN OFFICE SINGLE-HANDEDLY HIKED THE INFLATION RATE BY AT LEAST 3%. THAT'S HIGHER THAN MANY OTHER DEVELOPED COUNTRIES INCLUDING GERMANY, CANADA AND THE U.K. SO WHAT'S BEEN THE EFFECT FOR THE REST OF US? THEY CAN SAY IS NO RECESSION AND THE WORD IS LIKE FIREMAN, YOU JUST DON'T SAY IT. WHAT DOES AMERICA LOOK LIKE? I DON'T KNOW. LET'S CHECK YOUR LOCAL FOOD BANK? THERE'S A GOOD CHANCE YOUR LOCAL FOOD BANK IS OVERWHELMED. IN BOISE, IDAHO, THE FOOD BANK REPORTS THEY'VE GONE FROM SERVING 2000 PEOPLE EVERY MUCH TO 4,200 JUST TO LAST YEAR. ANOTHER NEARBY FOOD BANK HAS REPORTED A SIMILAR INCREASE. A SPOKESPERSON TOLD IN LOCAL NEWS STATION "WE ARE FINDING OUT WITH THE RISING RENT COSTS FOR THE RISING COSTS THE RENT EATS FIRST. THEY GASOLINE EACH SECOND. TO THE FAMILY HAS VERY LITTLE TO BUY FOOD TO EAT." SOME LIKE A RICH COUNTRY TO YOU? A PLACE THRIVING? THEY CAN AFFORD IT TURNS ENERGY GRID OVER TO CHINA? NO. THE SAME STORY ACROSS THE COUNTRY. PENNSYLVANIA. THE ALLENTOWN AREA ECONOMICAL FOOD BANK REPORTS A MASSIVE INCREASE IN FAMILIES WHO NEED FOOD. AND THE BIGGEST FOOD PRODUCING COUNTRY IN THE WORLD. THAT'S US. BUT THE DIRECTOR TOLD A NEW STATION "SINCE OCTOBER WE HAVE TRIPLED THE NUMBER OF FAMILIES WERE -- WE ARE SERVING EVERY MONTH." 300 OF THE 200 FAMILY SHE SERVED THIS MONTH ARE FIRST-TIME VISITORS. HAVEN'T SPENT YEARS AT THE FOOD BANK BUT THE ECONOMY IS, SORRY TO USE THE WORD, RECESSION. OUTSIDE FOOD BANK IN PHOENIX THE AP REPORTED HUNDREDS OF FAMILIES LINED UP THIS MONTH AROUND THE BLOCK. THE MAIN DISTRIBUTION SERVED 4,271 FAMILIES IN JUST ONE WEEK LAST MONTH. THAT'S A 70% INCREASE COMPARED TO LAST YEAR. ACCORDING TO THE AP "MORE THAN A HUNDRED FAMILIES LINED UP FOR THE DISTRIBUTION CENTER EVERY WEEKDAY FOR EMERGENCY GOVERNMENT FOOD BOX STUFFED WITH GOODS SUCH AS CANNED BEANS, PEANUT BUTTER, AND RICE." THAT IS A BREAD LINE BY THE WAY. THAT'S A BREAD LINE IN THE UNITED STATES. DID YOU SEE THAT ON "NBC NIGHTLY NEWS"? PROBABLY NOT BUT IT'S HAPPENING EVERYWHERE. IN CALIFORNIA, SIMILAR NUMBERS. THEY'VE GONE FROM 890 HOUSEHOLDS SERVED TYPICAL FRIDAY IN JANUARY TO MORE THAN 1400 FAMILIES ON A TYPICAL FRIDAY LAST MONTH. CENTRAL FLORIDA, SECOND HARVEST FOOD BANK WHICH SUPPLIES AROUND 500 WORKERS IN THE REGION SAYS THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE LOOKING FOR FOOD, NOT FOR VACATIONS IN ANTIGUA OR A NEW TESLA, BUT FOR FOOD TO EAT SO THEY CAN SURVIVE HAS GONE UP 25% IN THE LAST MONTH. THE FOOD BANK USED TO DISTRIBUTE 150,000 MEALS A DAY AND NOW THEY'RE UP TO A QUARTER MILLION AND THAT NUMBER IS RISING. THE FOOD BANK'S DIRECTOR SAYS THE CAUSE IS INFLATION. "IT COSTS QUITE A BIT TO PUT MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF POUNDS OF FOOD OUT THE DOOR EVERY WEEK AND EVERY MONTH." SO DOES THE WHITE HOUSE NOTICE ANY OF THIS? DO THEY KNOW IT'S HAPPENING? WHO KNOWS WHAT THEY KNOW. THEY CERTAINLY DON'T CARE. THEY ARE SAYING IT OUT LOUD. JOE BIDEN'S TOP ECONOMIC ADVISOR BRIAN DEESE IS TELLING YOU THAT IT DOESN'T MATTER. YOU'RE WORRIED ABOUT INFLATION? WELL, IT'S EASY FOR AMERICANS TO FIND FOOD SAYS BRIAN DEESE. WATCH. >> THE UNITED STATES IS IN A STRONGER POSITION TO ACTUALLY TRAIN OUR FOCUS ON TACKLING INFLATION THAN VIRTUALLY ANY OTHER COUNTRY. FOR EXAMPLE, WITH RESPECT TO FOOD, WE ARE A NET EXPORTER OF AGRICULTURAL COMMODITIES. OBVIOUSLY THE HIGH PRICES ARE HITTING AMERICANS VERY HARD IN A WAY THAT IS DIFFERENT FROM SOME PLACES THAT ARE FACING FAMINE, FOR EXAMPLE. >> Tucker: [LAUGHS] OH, LOWER YOUR EXPECTATIONS, AMERICA. THAT SOUND THAT YOU'RE HEARING IS THE GOALPOST MOVING SO HE WENT VERY QUICKLY NOW FROM BUILD BACK BETTER TO HATE, AT LEAST YOU'RE NOT STARVING TO DEATH. [LAUGHS] AT LEAST YOU DON'T HAVE A FAMINE. HOLD ON. THIS WAS AMERICA A YEAR AND A HALF AGO. PLANES TOOK OFF ON TIME AND PEOPLE WERE GETTING KILLED EVERY DAY ON THE SUBWAY AND THERE WASN'T FILTHY DRUG ADDICTS ON THE STREET AND PEOPLE WEREN'T WORRIED ABOUT HAVING ENOUGH TO EAT. THOSE WERE FIRST WORLD EXCITATIONS. ELECTRICITY IN THE SUMMERTIME. BUT THERE IS NO FAMINE. BECAUSE OTHERS KNOW FAMINE. DO YOUR PART, THEY ARE TELLING US. SAVE US FROM THE CLIMATE CRISIS, THE ONE THAT SOMEHOW ISN'T AFFECTING OCEANFRONT PROPERTY IN MALIBU AND MARTHA'S VINEYARD BUT NOT JUST THE CLIMATE CRISIS. TO SAVE DEMOCRACY IN UKRAINE. WAY MORE IMPORTANT THAN INFLATION AND YOUR STUPID ECONOMIC CONCERNS. THE PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE, ZELENSKYY, HE DECIDED I DON'T HAVE TO PRETEND TO CARE ABOUT THE UNITED STATES ANYMORE. I THINK AMERICANS ARE RIDICULOUS, DECADENT, OVERFED AND I HAVE CONTEMPT FOR THEM. SO HE WAS ASKED, WAIT A SECOND. CAN AMERICA AFFORD TO SEND $62 BILLION TO YOUR CORRUPT AUTOCRACY SO YOU CAN SHOOT DRAMATIC MAGAZINE PHOTOS PROVOKE? OF COURSE, SAID ZELENSKYY. INFLATION, WHO IS THINKING ABOUT INFLATION. WE ARE FIGHTING FOR ABSOLUTE COMMUNAL VALUES. WHAT? WHOSE VALUES? WE ARE NOT DOING ANYTHING COMMUNAL WITH YOU. YOU RUN UP CORRUPT EASTERN EUROPEAN COUNTRY. WE HAVE A RIGHT TO WORRY ABOUT OUR OWN COUNTRY. AND YET THE WHITE HOUSE THEY AGREE WITH THE LANDSCAPER THAT'S ALMOST WORD FOR WORD WHAT OUR NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR SAID E EXACT SAME QUESTION ON JULY 22ND. AMERICANS ARE WORRIED ABOUT SENDING ALL OF THIS MONEY TO UKRAINE AT A TIME WHEN INFLATION IS OUT OF CONTROL AND AMERICANS DON'T HAVE ENOUGH MONEY, I DON'T KNOW, TO BUY FOOD OR PERIOD. SO THE MODERATOR OF THE ASPEN INSTITUTE. YOU KNOW WHAT JAKE SULLIVAN SAID? FUNDAMENTALLY, I DON'T CARE. WATCH THIS. TO GO DO YOU WORRY ABOUT CRITICISM THAT WE ARE SPENDING MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS FOR UKRAINE AND NOT SPENDING IT HERE? >> IT IS MY JOB TO WORRY SO I WORRY ABOUT LITERALLY EVERYTHING. I WORRY ABOUT MY ANSWER TO THIS QUESTION. YES I GUESS I WORRY BUT IN A WAY THAT'S SORT OF NOT SAYING ANYTHING AT ALL. >> THIS IS THE BEING JOHN MALKOVICH PORTION OF OUR SESSION. >> FUNDAMENTALLY NO. CONGRESS PASSED $40 BILLION PACKAGE FOR UKRAINE. IT IS THE RESERVOIR OF SUPPORT IN THIS COUNTRY, AS TRANSLATED INTO THE CONGRESS AND THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH. DEEP AND SUSTAINABLE FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF DOING WHATEVER IT TAKES FOR, AS THE PRESIDENT HAS SAID, AS LONG AS IT TAKES, YES. >> Tucker: YOU HAVE JAKE SULLIVAN AND JEFF GOLDBERG, THEY HAVE ACCOMPLISHED PRETTY MUCH NOTHING IN THEIR ENTIRE LIVES, TALKING ABOUT THE ISSUES THAT WILL DEFINE THIS COUNTRY FOR OUR GRANDCHILDREN. BEFORE AN AUDIENCE IN ASPEN. SAYING THINGS LIKE NOT WORRIED AT ALL. AND THEN THE AUDIENCE TUTORS. AND YOU WONDER, HISTORIANS REVIEW TAPES LIKE THAT WHEN THEY TRY TO VIEW TAPES LIKE THAT. DO THEY KNOW HOW THEY LOOK? DO THEY KNOW HOW RIDICULOUS THEY ARE? DO THEY KNOW HOW DEEPLY THE PUBLIC DESPISES THEM? FOR GOOD REASON. YOU WORRY ABOUT CRITICISM SETTING MILLIONS OF DOLLARS FOR UKRAINE AND NOT SPENDING IT HERE. FUNDAMENTALLY, NO. JAKE SULLIVAN ISN'T WORRIED. HE KNOWS HE CAN CALL INFLATION TRANSITORY WHEN IT'S NOT THERE HE CAN DENY WE ARE IN A RECESSION WHEN THERE OBVIOUSLY IN ONE. BECAUSE THE WORDS ARE ALL THAT MATTERED TO THEM. NOT THE REALITY. THEY DON'T WALK THROUGH MIDTOWN MANHATTAN. AND NOTICE THIS IS DISGUSTING. THIS IS WORSE THAN MUMBAI. HOW DID IT GET THIS WAY? THEY DON'T EVEN NOTICE. TOMORROW WE WILL HAVE AN HOUR-LONG INVESTI
Not my favorite guy because Tucker Carlson does punch down and still shit on the poor here despite the systemic failure but he is right about people in the government having to constantly redefine the meaning of everything because it doesn’t fit the narrative.
As far as recession goes, remember in 2008 when the TV financial guys kept saying “everything’s fine, just keep buying stocks” while selling their own positions just before everything crashed a couple months later? What’s the saying again… history doesn’t repeat but it sure does rhyme.