MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” took an unexpected turn into kitchen economics when co-host Mika Brzezinski revealed a startling grocery price that left even veteran political analyst Joe Scarborough speechless: the soaring cost of butter.
The conversation began with Scarborough recounting an anecdote. “A few weeks ago… somebody who was going to be voting for Kamala Harris came up to me and said ‘oh my God, Trump’s going to win… I go to the grocery store butter is over $3’,” Scarborough shared, setting the stage for a discussion on voter concerns and economic anxieties. He admitted to initially dismissing the voter’s concern as “reductive.”
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But then Brzezinski interjected with a reality check that clearly resonated with her co-host. “It’s $7… I’m just saying it’s 7,” she corrected, highlighting the dramatic increase in butter prices.
Scarborough’s reaction was immediate and visceral. “Butter is $7… What, is it framed in gold?” he exclaimed, his shock evident in his facial expression. The price of butter, a staple in many American households, had clearly caught him off guard, symbolizing a broader trend of rising grocery costs.
Brzezinski somberly confirmed the price point, adding, “It’s seven bucks…. it depends where you go,” suggesting that in some locations, the situation might be even more pronounced.
Following this exchange, the broadcast displayed a stark graphic: NBC exit poll data indicating that 46% of Americans feel their economic situation has worsened in the past four years. This visual aid underscored the point Brzezinski and Scarborough were implicitly making – that everyday expenses, like butter, are becoming a significant concern for many Americans and potentially influencing their political views. Scarborough himself lamented the country’s ongoing battle with inflation.
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“If you look at the cost of groceries, if you look at the cost of gas, if you look at the cost of things compared to four years ago it was a very simple answer for working class Americans,” Scarborough conceded, acknowledging the validity of the voter’s initial concern about butter prices as a microcosm of wider economic pressures.
This segment stands in contrast to Scarborough’s remarks from the previous week, where he presented a more optimistic economic outlook. He had cited a Wall Street Journal article from October 31st, stating, “The next president inherits a remarkable economy.” This earlier statement highlights a potential shift in Scarborough’s perspective, possibly influenced by the stark reality of rising consumer prices like that of butter.
Further highlighting this nuanced and sometimes contradictory stance, Scarborough had previously downplayed concerns about President Biden’s verbal missteps. In March, he declared Biden to be “intellectually, analytically … the best Biden ever,” even after spending hours discussing the economy and inflation with the President.
However, the current economic climate, marked by persistent inflation, seems to be prompting a reevaluation, even for commentators like Scarborough who initially expressed optimism. In 2022, as inflation reached a 40-year high, Scarborough had advocated for increased federal spending, seemingly contradicting later concerns about inflation.
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At that time, he criticized corporations paying “zero in taxes” and supported a 15% corporate minimum tax, which eventually became part of the Inflation Reduction Act. While Scarborough hailed these measures as “anti-inflationary,” the Penn Wharton Budget Model predicted the Act would increase the deficit, a view later disputed by the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. Regardless of the long-term impacts of such policies, the immediate reality for consumers is the rising cost of goods.
Economists often point to high government spending as a potential driver of inflation. Despite these concerns, the Biden-Harris administration continued to implement large-scale programs, including student debt cancellation, which Jason Furman, former chair of Obama’s Council of Economic Advisers, warned would be like “pouring roughly half trillion dollars of gasoline on the inflationary fire.”
The impact of inflation is felt directly by consumers through decreased real wages. Hedge fund manager John Paulson pointed out in September that “under Biden, because of the high inflation, real wages have declined from where they were when he started.” This decline contributes to the financial strain experienced by middle-class Americans struggling with essential expenses like rent and food.
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Recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics confirms the persistent rise in prices, with consumer goods costing roughly 20% more than in January 2021. Joe Scarborough’s sticker shock at the price of butter, therefore, is not just an isolated anecdote but a reflection of a broader economic reality impacting Americans across the country, a reality that is increasingly hard to ignore, even on morning news programs.
