AMAC Exclusive – By Andrew Abbott

Despite an all-out effort by elected Democrats and the mainstream media to shift blame for inflation away from Joe Biden and the Democratic Party’s unprecedented spending spree, a majority of voters still blame Biden for causing the inflation that is wreaking havoc on Americans’ financial lives, according to a new poll conducted by the Trafalgar Group for AMAC.

Amazingly, just 6.7 percent said they blamed the “Russian invasion of Ukraine” for inflation—a complete and total rejection of the narrative the Biden administration has stubbornly pushed for months, blaming the war in eastern Europe for “Putin’s Price Hike.”

The nationwide opinion poll surveyed 1,078 likely voters from September 21-26, and had a margin of error of 2.9 percent.

Asked which was “most responsible for inflation,” 52.1 percent of likely voters said they blame “the Biden administration,” while 25.8 percent blame the “global shutdown due to COVID-19,” and 15.4 percent blame the Trump administration.  

Since taking office, President Joe Biden has presided over an inflation rate that has skyrocketed from a low of 1.4 percent in January 2021 to a record high of 9.1 percent in June 2022. Inflation decreased slightly to 8.3 percent last month, but many economic forecasters fear the worst is yet to come. Experts agree that any sustained decline in inflation will likely coincide with a significant worsening of the ongoing economic recession. Economists have also consistently held that the enormous spending packages passed by congressional Democrats and signed into law by Biden are a primary driver of inflation. Even Larry Summers, an economic advisor to Presidents Obama and Clinton, called Democrats’ so-called “American Rescue Plan” the “least responsible” economic policy in 40 years.

Yet despite the near-consensus on the Biden administration’s responsibility for inflation, the White House has engaged in a never-ending game of blame-shifting and misdirection on the subject. First, the White House tried dismissing inflation as “transient,” insisting that it was just a short-term blip as a result of the pandemic. When that narrative became untenable, the Biden administration tried blaming former President Trump and congressional Republicans, despite the fact that Trump had been out of office for more than a year and Democrats controlled both chambers of Congress.

Apparently realizing that those talking points weren’t likely to convince many people either, the Biden administration then engaged in an all-out effort to blame the Russian invasion of Ukraine, asserting that the global economic disruptions of the conflict have caused inflation and the average cost of goods to explode. The administration then suggested that Republicans who call Biden out on inflation are effectively puppets of Vladimir Putin. Biden repeatedly made reference to what he called “Putin’s Price Hike,” specifically claiming that “70 percent” of inflation was due to the Russian invasion – a theory that multiple economists and global affairs experts have rejected. Nevertheless, the Biden administration has persisted in the claim.

As the AMAC/Trafalgar poll shows, a majority of voters aren’t buying any of these excuses – particularly with regard to Ukraine. Notably, 51.8 percent of Independents and even 18.3 percent of Democrats primarily blame Biden for inflation. Just 10.3 percent and 7.2 percent blamed Ukraine, respectively. Ahead of a hotly contested midterm election cycle where inflation is a top issue for voters, those numbers should undoubtedly be concerning for Democratic campaigns.

The poll also shows serious trouble for Democrats among minority voters – a key demographic for the party. 69 percent of Hispanics say Biden is most responsible for inflation, further suggesting that a mass exodus of Latinos from the Democratic Party may indeed be ongoing. 25.7 percent of Blacks also blame Biden for inflation, while just 3.8 percent blame the Russian invasion of Ukraine – another concerning sign for Democrats that their message is not credible. 48.3 percent of Asian voters also said Biden is most to blame for inflation, while just 3.7 percent blamed Ukraine.

Perhaps of most concern to these frustrated voters should be the fact that Biden and congressional Democrats have shown no signs of changing course. In August, Congress passed and Biden signed a bill titled the “Inflation Reduction Act,” but economists predict it will actually make inflation slightly worse. Democrats have also outlined plans for more huge spending packages should they manage to retain control of Congress, denying the obvious relationship between the policies they have passed so far and inflation.

In November, the people will have a chance to render their judgment. If Republicans can make clear that they have a plan for curbing Biden’s inflationary policies if given control of Congress, the GOP will have a strong majority of voters sympathetic to their message.

Andrew Abbott is the pen name of a writer and public affairs consultant with over a decade of experience in DC at the intersection of politics and culture.  

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