Washington Post editorial board criticizes Harris's economic plan, calls it 'misguided'

The Washington Post editorial board criticized Vice President Kamala Harris's economic plan, calling it "misguided" and containing "populist gimmicks."

The board editorialized that "price gouging" was not causing inflation as Harris suggested. 

"Vice President Kamala Harris’s speech Friday was an opportunity to get specific with voters about how a Harris presidency would manage an economy that many feel is not working well for them," the editorial states. "Unfortunately, instead of delivering a substantial plan, she squandered the moment on populist gimmicks."

The Post criticized Harris for saying that big businesses were to blame for the cost of inflation. 

"One way to handle it might be to level with voters, telling them that inflation spiked in 2021 mainly because the pandemic snarled supply chains, and that the Federal Reserve’s policies, which the Biden-Harris administration supported, are working to slow it," it says. "The vice president instead opted for a less forthright route: Blaming big business."

During a Friday speech in North Carolina, Harris vowed to tackle inflation and housing affordability. She announced a plan for a $25,000 subsidy for eligible homebuyers to support down payments. 

The Post criticized that suggestion, arguing that it "stimulates the demand side, which risks putting upward pressure on prices."