A Fox News host corrected President Donald Trump’s economic advisor Kevin Hassett in a live interview on Thursday.
When Hassett said wage growth was higher than inflation now, Fox host Martha McCallum corrected him, saying, “inflation is at 2.9 percent.”
“Real wage growth is $1,200 over the year. I’ll show it to you,” Hassett responded.
Why It Matters
Fox News has garnered a reputation as a right leaning news organization, making any correction or pushback against the Trump administration seen as a rarity by many viewers.
Trump’s administration has shared recent economic data and tariff impacts with a positive spin, but McCallum’s interview with Hassett revealed some inconsistencies.
What To Know
McCallum asked Hassett several questions about America’s economy today, including layoff numbers.
“Year-to-date job cuts show an increase of 54 percent,” McCallum said. “That seems like a troubling number. What’s your take on it?”
Hassett replied: “Don’t forget that there’s hires and there’s fires, there’s separations and new jobs, and so net job creation for the year is very positive. But the flow of jobs in and out is a little bit higher, there’s a little bit more turnover. A lot of times that happens because people feel that they’re able to get another job if they leave this job.”
McCallum also questioned Trump’s advisor about a Fox News poll that revealed 76 percent of respondents said the economy was “only fair” or “poor.”
“And then, when we have ‘Who is responsible for current economic conditions, President Trump or President Biden?’ We have Trump at 62 percent.… What would you say to people who are answering the survey that way, Kevin?” she asked.
“One of the things that we’ve seen, we’ve studied over the last couple of weeks, is that when there’s a government shutdown … the survey data tend[s] to really tank because everyone is in a terrible mood, because Washington can’t work and the government’s shut down, and they’re worried about how bad it’s going to be,” Hassett said.
Newsweek reached out to the White House and Fox News for comment.
What People Are Saying
Kevin Thompson, the CEO of 9i Capital Group and the host of the 9innings podcast, told Newsweek: “The host called out the official for mixing up real and nominal wage growth and that matters. Paychecks might be bigger on paper, but after the inflation hits from 2022 and 2023, people aren’t really ahead.
“A little surprising coming from Fox, sure. But it hits home for viewers who don’t need data to tell them what they already feel their money just isn’t going as far.”
What Happens Next
Some Americans have been frustrated by higher prices due to tariffs implemented by the Trump administration and greater economic uncertainty.
Approval ratings of the president were at -3 percentage points, with 44 percent of respondents approving and 47 percent disapproving, based on I&I/TIPP polling. This is an improvement from last month when, with 41 percent approving and 49 percent disapproving, Trump had a net approval rating of -8 percentage points.
The poll of 1,483 adults was conducted between November 25 and 29 and had a margin of error of plus or minus 2.8 percentage points.