It was a massive over reaction and a massive mistake. Inflation now is a direct consequence of indiscriminate spending. Politicians do not seem to understand basic economics. E.g. California's inflation relief checks going out right now.
None of this excuses the lack of oversight, but the initial overreaction may have been rational.
Inflation related stimulus is of course farcical.
If there’s a 50% chance of total economic meltdown, and you can avert it with a few years of high inflation, that might still be the correct decision, even if the doomsday scenario doesn’t come true.