House Speaker Johnson defends Trump after inflation remark
Speaker Mike Johnson said President Trump’s “I love inflation” comment was taken out of context and emphasized the president’s focus on lowering prices and reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
House Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters that President Donald Trump’s remark about "loving" the latest inflation figure was being misrepresented by the media. Johnson said the president was "laser-focused on the domestic economic situation" and was working to bring down prices and to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Johnson, who was present during the Oval Office briefing where Trump made the comment, suggested the president meant that future inflation numbers would improve once the war-related disruptions were resolved. He described the statement as "crystal-clear" to him.
Trump, when asked about the 4.2% annual inflation rate for May, responded that he loved the number because he expected it to fall once the conflict in the region ended, then shifted to a discussion of recent U.S. military actions aimed at securing oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz.
When pressed on whether inflation would decline before the November elections, Trump replied that it would "come down like a rock" after the war concluded.
"The president is laser-focused on the domestic economic situation," Johnson said.
"He is working to bring down prices; his working to get the Strait of Hormuz reopened," he added.
The exchange occurred amid broader debates over U.S. military operations in the Middle East and the administration’s handling of economic policy.