Biden Takes Victory Lap on Strong Jobs Report, Refuses to Take Blame for Inflation

President Joe Biden speaks on the economy during a meeting of his Competition Council in the East Room of the White House, on Feb. 1, 2023. Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images

President Joe Biden took a victory lap on Friday after the U.S. economy reported 517,000 new jobs in January, topping most economists’ expectations.

With outgoing National Economic Council (NEC) director Brian Deese and Council of Economic Advisors (CEC) head Cecilia Rouse behind him, President Biden claimed that he had created more jobs in two years than any other president in the same span.