Legendary comedian Bill Murray briefly turned a serious economic interview into an offbeat spectacle when he ambushed National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett live on CNBC, testing the Trump advisers relentlessly upbeat demeanor with a darkly comic request.
The unscripted moment unfolded on CNBCs morning program as co-hosts Joe Kernan and Becky Quick were questioning Hassett about the state of the economy, according to Mediaite. Murray suddenly appeared at the desk, arms folded, prompting Kernan to observe, I think Bill has a question, as the actor hovered between the anchors and the White House official.
Yeah I got one, Murray replied. Its just, I would regret it if I didnt take this opportunity.
With Hassett smiling through a discussion of affordability concerns, Murray decided to probe whether the Presidents economic adviser could drop the cheerfulness on command. Poking at Hassetts buoyant tone, Murray asked, Could you just say the words, My dog just died? I wanna see what happens to your smile.
Hassett, staying in character as a disciplined messenger for the administration, responded, Oh, well, is it your dog or my dog? Your dog. Your dog, Murray insisted, pressing the bit.
Hassett complied, stating, OK, my dog just died, and, to his credit, managed to keep a straight face as the studio laughed around him. Thats all right, Murray said, apparently satisfied with the performance.
We were gonna have someone go take your blood. Were gonna call them off. Not going to happen. The exchange underscored how even a lighthearted stunt could not easily rattle one of President Trumps most visible economic defenders.
Kernan then shifted gears, asking Hassett for his favorite Murray film, prompting the actor to toss out a title suggestion before the adviser answered. Hassett ultimately named one of Murrays classics, which he described as one of the top five movies ever made, to which Murray responded, The top political people know that movie, as Kernan broke up laughing.
Hassetts appearance came on the heels of his recent pushback against Democratic talking points about an affordability crisis, a phrase eagerly adopted by Trump critics to undermine the administrations economic record. The amount of consumption per household has gone up maybe around $5,000 per household, Hassett told Fox Business host Larry Kudlow on October 26.
Thats after inflation, because of the income boom, the capital spending boom, the fact that people arent losing their jobs, all the things that have made the economy great means that [the] affordability crisis it a myth! For conservatives, the Murray cameo may have been amusing, but the more consequential takeaway was Hassetts continued insistence that, despite media alarmism, American households are tangibly better off under President Trumps economic agenda.
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