TikTok Influencers Reportedly Recruited by Biden to 'Amplify' Blame on Russia For Soaring Gas Prices

The White House held a Zoom briefing on Ukraine for an estimated 30 TikTok celebrities stars on 10 March, reported The Washington Post earlier, where influencers were updated by National Security Council staffers and White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki.

Teenage TikTok influencers have already entered the messaging fray after reportedly being enlisted by the Joe Biden administration to coordinate an onslaught blaming Russia’s President Vladimir Putin for globally skyrocketing gas prices.

On 10 March the White House held a Zoom briefing on Ukraine for 30 of the social media platform’s celebrities, some of whom boast millions of followers, according to a recording of the call obtained by The Washington Post.

Now, several days later, Ellie Zeiler, 18, who boasts more than 10 million followers on TikTok, where she usually dances or poses in trendy outfits, has posted a video where she posed the question, "Why is gas so expensive?"

"Why is gas so expensive, and why is the United States inflation rate at a four-time decade high? I had the opportunity to ask the White House why gas down the street is $7 and here’s what they said."

According to the influencer, the "obvious reason," is that demand is rising against the backdrop of the winding down COVID-19 pandemic, with people resuming travelling. However, she adds that the Zoom call with the WH was “predominantly about Ukraine and Russia, so how does that relate?"

"Russia is one of the top three producers of oil and it is actually their No. 1 revenue source. Now, with Putin starting this horrific fight between Ukraine and Russia, nobody wants to work with him and do international trade," clarified the Tiktok star.

‘Amplifying’ the WH Message

Indeed, according to the report in The Washington Post on 11 March, celebrities of the video-sharing app received updates from National Security Council staffers, including special adviser Matt Miller, and White House press secretary, Jen Psaki on the US’ strategic goals in the region as millions of fans seek real-time information on what is happening in Ukraine.

“We recognise this is a critically important avenue in the way the American public is finding out about the latest,” White House director of digital strategy, Rob Flaherty, was cited as saying, adding that officials wanted to make sure they had “the latest information from an authoritative source.”

Seeking to ostensibly harness the power the content creators had in communicating with their followers, the Biden administration had turned to Gen Z For Change, a nonprofit advocacy group. An effort was made to identify top content creators on the platform, who were subsequently sent out invitations to the briefing, elucidating the United States’ role in the Ukraine conflict.

Victoria Hammett, deputy executive director of Gen Z For Change, after contacted dozens of the Tiktokers, is believed to have assembled potential questions for the briefing.

Kahlil Greene, 21, credited with over 534,000 followers on TikTok, was cited as saying:

“People in my generation get all our information from TikTok. It’s the first place we’re searching up new topics and learning about things.”

Gen Z content creator Jules Terpak said the White House’s decision to thus empower influencers to communicate about the crisis was essential to “ideally set the tone for how others decide to assess and amplify what they see online.”

Gen-Z for Change tweeted on Friday that the discussion focused on the US government’s "strategic goals in Ukraine so we’re better able to debunk misinformation."

Ever since Russia started its special operation to demilitarize and de-Nazify Ukraine on 24 February, after weeks of escalating shelling, sabotage and sniper attacks by Ukrainian forces against the Lugansk and Donetsk People's Republics (LPR, DPR), natural gas and oil prices have skyrocketed.

The trend gained even more traction after both Europe and the US have been joining the sweeping Russian sanctions campaign. President Joe Biden announced a ban on Russian energy imports, including oil and gas, on 8 March. At the same time, fueling a media frenzy in the Western press, the Biden administration is driving the message that higher energy prices have been thrust upon Americans by Russia’s alleged “invasion” of Ukraine.

"Americans are paying a higher price at the pump because of the actions of President Putin," echoed JenPsaki, WH press secretary, on 8 March.

Accordingly, media outlets, like ABC News, have been toeing the line, with headlines proclaiming that, “Putin's price hike’ will be borne by American consumers."

When President Joe Biden was asked on Tuesday about gas prices, he quipped, “They’re going to go up… Can’t do much right now. Russia is responsible."