Politics'Let Me Finish': NBC's Kristen Welker Slams Sen. Tim Scott as He Tries to Shift Blame for Rising Costs on Joe Biden Instead of Donald Trump’s Tariffs
Things got heated during Kristen Welker's 'Meet the Press' interview with Tim Scott.
Aug. 26 2026, Updated 2:17 p.m. ET
NBC's Meet the Press host Kristen Welker and Republican Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina publicly clashed over the state of the economy under President Donald Trump on Sunday, August 23.
During the testy exchange, Welker pressed Scott on rising inflation, gas prices and the impact of Trump's global tariffs. At the same time, Scott repeatedly attempted to deflect blame toward former President Joe Biden.
The confrontation began when Welker read a statement from Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) warning that the administration's tariffs would force businesses to pass higher prices onto consumers.
'Let Me Finish'
Tim Scott labeled Joe Biden's presidency as the 'original sin of costs in America.'
Scott attempted to change the subject, labeling Biden's previous tenure as the "original sin of costs in America" and claiming Biden had driven cumulative costs up by 21 percent.
Welker repeatedly interjected, cutting off the senator by stating, "President Trump has been in office for two years" and "the Biden administration is over.”
Scott stammered, "Let me finish. President Trump has brought inflation from a sky-high 21 percent in the Biden years down to under 5 percent, and right now hovering near 4 percent."
'Prices Have Gone Up'
Kristen Welker argued about inflation with Sen. Tim Scott on 'Meet the Press.'
Welker interjected again, "Wait. Inflation was at 3 percent when President Biden left office. It's at 3.4 percent right now. The average household has paid $1,000 more in 2026 due to the tariffs, Senator."
As Scott attempted to insist that Trump inherited a weak economy before Trump’s second term, Welker continued to push back.
"Senator, these are the facts. When President Trump took office, inflation was at 3 percent. It's now at 3.4 percent. Gas prices are over $4 a gallon, up over $1 from a year ago. President Trump's tariffs have cost American households nearly $2,000. He promised he would bring prices down on day one. Did he break that promise? Prices have gone up,” she said.
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'But We're Not Talking About Joe Biden'
'We're talking about President Trump. He's the guy in office,' Kristen Welker said to Tim Scott.
Once again, Scott attempted to blame Biden, but Welker refused to let it stand.
"But we're not talking about Joe Biden, though. The Biden administration is over. We're two years into the Trump administration,” she reminded him.
"Senator, President Trump himself says he owns this economy; this is now the Trump economy. He's been in office for two years. We're not talking about Joe Biden. We're talking about President Trump. He's the guy in office,” she insisted, reminding him once more, "All right, Senator, again inflation was at 3 percent when President Trump took office. It's at 3.4 percent now."
Tim Scott tried to shift blame on the Biden administration while discussing the economy with Kristen Welker.
The televised clash highlights a growing struggle for the administration.
Although Trump explicitly took ownership of the economy earlier in the year, recent economic pressures — compounded by aggressive tariffs and a military conflict with Iran in February — have caused public approval of his economic handling to drop.
Public opinion polls show a majority of Americans now hold the current administration responsible for economic woes, making it harder for surrogates like Scott to successfully blame the previous administration ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
