Inflation is rising again after easing in 2024 and 2025. It hit 3.8% in April from a year earlier. That is the highest rate in three years. It is squeezing budgets for gas, groceries, and other basics.

White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett said inflation is mainly a blue-state problem. He said New York and California change the picture. But the article says that claim is false. It says the data are old. Inflation is high in all nine Census Bureau regions. Rising gas prices tie to the Middle East conflict. They push up air fares, shipping costs, and grocery prices.

The data show the problem is not only in Democratic states. The Pacific region has mostly blue states. It had 3.5% inflation in April. That is below the national rate. The East South Central region has all red states. It had 4.5% inflation in April. That is above the national average.

Hassett also said core and trimmed-mean measures show falling inflation. The article says core inflation has risen this year. The Fed’s core PCE measure also moved higher. A Dallas Fed trimmed-mean measure has edged down. Officials warned that it can mislead during sharp inflation spikes.