Busted: Trump Official Tries to Rewrite Inflation Story on Live TV
November 24, 2025 — A live CNBC interview took an unexpected turn Monday when Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins claimed inflation was “already down to 2.9%” and continuing to fall toward a 2% target—only to be challenged on-air with data showing inflation has actually inched up, not down.
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Rollins presented the 2.9% figure as evidence that prices are moving in the right direction. But CNBC host Joe Kernen immediately pushed back, noting that inflation was already near that level when President Biden left office—and that the latest Consumer Price Index reading shows inflation edging closer to 3%, not declining toward the Federal Reserve’s 2% goal.
Pressed on whether the current number represented real progress, Rollins conceded it was “about where it was,” undermining the idea that the administration had driven any new drop.
The exchange highlighted a key tension: while the Trump administration is framing 2.9% as proof of improvement, the data shows inflation is not moving meaningfully lower.
The White House has not offered a timeline for reaching 2%.