Richard Quest to Batya Ungar-Sargon Asking Him to Respond to Data of Lower Prices: ‘How Do I Know Your Data Is Correct?’

EXCERPT:

LoPRESTI: "The problem is back to the data. The problem is that the president has questioned the integrity of the data, which he's perfectly entitled to do."
LoPRESTI: "As do I."
QUICK: "Well — "
UNGAR-SARGON: "But I — respond to me. I used data. Respond to what I said."
QUICK: "Well, how do I know your data is correct?"
UNGAR-SARGON: "Because I got it from the Treasury Department."
QUICK: "Well, how do we know that‘s correct? But my point is, the correct thing to do would have been to set up a bipartisan commission to look at the data. No, you don‘t just fire the head of the BLS, you then appoint a stooge who‘s going to do the work for you, and then the entire — "
UNGAR-SARGON: "But respond to my numbers. Come on! This is a distraction."
QUICK: "No, it‘s not."
UNGAR-SARGON: "You‘re punting."