‘Baghdad Bob’: GOP Senator Slams Psaki In Searing Rebuke Over Inflation

Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, has expressed frustration over the Biden administration’s comments and response to the surge in inflation nationwide, likening White House press secretary Jen Psaki to “Baghdad Bob.”

In a media briefing Thursday, Sullivan said the current “administration is so out of touch,” adding that Psaki “is starting to look like ‘Baghdad Bob’” when she discusses issues related to increasing prices of U.S. goods, Fox News reported.

Sullivan’s reference to Baghdad Bob can be reminiscent of Iraqi spokesman Mohammed Saeed al-Sahhaf, who was dubbed as an unintentional comedian for his colorful and bombastic ways when speaking at press briefings during the Iraq War.

Earlier this week, lobbyist and Fox News commentator Steve Milloy tweeted a similar rebuke. The Atlantic noted that “Baghdad Bob” is now a connotation of someone who is confident of his comments even if everyone knew that his statements were contradicting the current situation.

Sullivan also called out the Biden administration’s chief of staff, Ron Klain, who retweeted Harvard Professor and economist Jason Furman’s tweet about inflation being “high class problems.”

This isn’t the first time Psaki drew backlash for her comments that seemingly downplayed recent economic issues and supply chain problems in the United States.

Last month, a reporter said “it was crystal clear that things were not improving on the supply chain. People couldn’t get dishwashers and furniture and treadmills delivered on time,” to which Psaki responded, “the tragedy of the treadmill that's delayed," New York Post reported.

The reporter refused to back down, pointing out that Biden announced a task force focused on supply chain difficulties around mid-October, at a time when a shortage of goods could be experienced during the holidays. Psaki said supply chain issues were “multifaceted.”

Also in mid-October, Psaki told reporters that the country has “seen a decrease over the course of time” in inflation, adding that the increase in prices decelerated by 50% over the past several months. However, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 6.2% last month compared to the same month in 2020, marking the highest increase in the index since 1990.”

Economy experts have said that the supply chain crisis has contributed to the increases in inflation this year.

For Sullivan and other GOP lawmakers, White House policies are to blame. “These issues are exploding all around the White House, and they just ignore them,” Sullivan said.