A recent report has unveiled the creator of one of President Biden’s frequently used talking points: “Putin’s price hike.” This phrase was often used by the administration during the Ukraine War and earlier this year to deflect criticism from President Biden’s economic policies and instead place blame on Russian President Vladimir Putin for the rising inflation in the United States.
According to a profile piece, now-former White House communications director Kate Bedingfield is responsible for coining the phrase.
Bedingfield was also recently called out for dodging questions regarding Biden’s classified documents scandal. Several White House staffers wanted to attribute the “idiotic” messaging to Bedingfield.
Despite the talking point being labeled a “cute gimmick” by some, it had zero impact as the majority of people continued to blame Biden policies for gas price hikes.
Bedingfield, who was persuaded to stay in her role through the midterms, has been at the center of several controversies during her tenure as Biden’s top communications official.
In August 2021, Bedingfield claimed that Biden “never shies away from taking questions” amid criticism that the president was avoiding press conferences during the botched Afghanistan withdrawal.
Bedingfield also made headlines in 2020 when she refused to answer a question about Democrats’ calls for packing the Supreme Court, calling it a GOP-manufactured “distraction.”
While Bedingfield’s responsibility for the “Putin’s price hike” talking point has been exposed, it remains to be seen whether it will have any lasting impact on her reputation or the Biden administration’s messaging strategy.