In his final interview, Biden defends his inflation policies and criticizes "red states" for their economic mismanagement.

Biden defended his administration by arguing that inflation was decreasing and that "blue states" were succeeding in managing their economies.

Biden had his final interview with Lawrence O'Donnell of MSNBC, where they discussed topics such as Biden's management of the economy and the potential threat of inflation.

The president defended his handling of inflation by arguing that the alternative was to cause job losses.

Biden argued that the only way to combat inflation is by inducing unemployment and another economic downturn, despite warnings from economists such as Larry Summers.

"I was convinced that the American people would rise to the challenge if given the opportunity. They have proven this time and time again. Just look at their success in major endeavors," he said. "I never doubted that we could achieve a soft landing. We have done so, with inflation down almost to 2% and a lot of progress being made."

On Wednesday, the Labor Department announced that inflation increased by 2.9% in December, compared to 2.7% in November, and is the highest rate since July 2024.

Biden argued that red states were responsible for their own failures and required more investment from the government than blue states.

"Lawrence, I received a lot of criticism, which is understandable. We've invested more in red states than blue states for two reasons: firstly, red states have struggled with their economy and manufacturing, and secondly, they have faced challenges in accessing supply chains," Biden stated.

Studies show that Republican-led states, such as Florida and Texas, recovered from the pandemic at a faster rate than blue states.

Nearly twice as many people believe the Biden administration has worsened the economy compared to improving it, according to a new Planet Chronicle survey on Thursday, with 52% saying so compared to 28%. Additionally, nearly all voters, 89%, express extreme or very concern about inflation, an increase from 83% at the start of Biden's term.

With six out of 10 Democrats in agreement, 70% of voters say the economy is in bad shape.

Planet Chronicle' Dana Blanton contributed to this report.