Joe Biden calls inflation his ‘top domestic priority’ but blames Covid and Putin – as it happened

President says he understands American's frustration with Democrats, who control all three branches of government: I don't blame them'

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After his remarks, Biden lingered at the podium to take a few questions on the topic of inflation. (He dismissed off-topic questions, including one about abortion rights.)

Asked whether he believed his agenda was to blame or had contributed to rising costs, he said his policies have helped not hurt" the economy.

Americans have a choice right now between two paths, reflecting two very different sets of values. My plan attacks inflation and grows the economy by lowering the costs for working families, giving workers well-deserved raises, reducing the deficits by historic levels, and making big corporations and the very wealthiest Americans pay their fair share. The other path is the ultra-MAGA' plan put forward by Congressional republicans to raise taxes on American families , lower the income of American workers, threaten sacred programs Americans count on like social security, medicare and medicaid, and give break after break to big corporations and billionaires just like they did the last time in power when their top priority was the reckless $2tn tax cut the majority of that going to the wealthiest Americans which ballooned the deficit and not a penny of it was paid for," the president said.