diff --git a/wp-includes/class-wp-xmlrpc-server.php b/wp-includes/class-wp-xmlrpc-server.php
index 6e3ee0a13a..513bd1cdbf 100644
--- a/wp-includes/class-wp-xmlrpc-server.php
+++ b/wp-includes/class-wp-xmlrpc-server.php
@@ -5399,30 +5399,27 @@ class wp_xmlrpc_server extends IXR_Server {
 
 		// Let WordPress generate the 'post_name' (slug) unless
 		// one has been provided.
-		$post_name = '';
+		$post_name = null;
 		if ( isset( $content_struct['wp_slug'] ) ) {
 			$post_name = $content_struct['wp_slug'];
 		}
 
 		// Only use a password if one was given.
+		$post_password = '';
 		if ( isset( $content_struct['wp_password'] ) ) {
 			$post_password = $content_struct['wp_password'];
-		} else {
-			$post_password = '';
 		}
 
 		// Only set a post parent if one was given.
+		$post_parent = 0;
 		if ( isset( $content_struct['wp_page_parent_id'] ) ) {
 			$post_parent = $content_struct['wp_page_parent_id'];
-		} else {
-			$post_parent = 0;
 		}
 
 		// Only set the 'menu_order' if it was given.
+		$menu_order = 0;
 		if ( isset( $content_struct['wp_page_order'] ) ) {
 			$menu_order = $content_struct['wp_page_order'];
-		} else {
-			$menu_order = 0;
 		}
 
 		$post_author = $user->ID;
@@ -5450,8 +5447,8 @@ class wp_xmlrpc_server extends IXR_Server {
 			$post_author = $content_struct['wp_author_id'];
 		}
 
-		$post_title   = isset( $content_struct['title'] ) ? $content_struct['title'] : null;
-		$post_content = isset( $content_struct['description'] ) ? $content_struct['description'] : null;
+		$post_title   = isset( $content_struct['title'] ) ? $content_struct['title'] : '';
+		$post_content = isset( $content_struct['description'] ) ? $content_struct['description'] : '';
 
 		$post_status = $publish ? 'publish' : 'draft';
 
@@ -5464,15 +5461,15 @@ class wp_xmlrpc_server extends IXR_Server {
 					$post_status = $content_struct[ "{$post_type}_status" ];
 					break;
 				default:
-					$post_status = $publish ? 'publish' : 'draft';
+					// Deliberably left empty.
 					break;
 			}
 		}
 
-		$post_excerpt = isset( $content_struct['mt_excerpt'] ) ? $content_struct['mt_excerpt'] : null;
-		$post_more    = isset( $content_struct['mt_text_more'] ) ? $content_struct['mt_text_more'] : null;
+		$post_excerpt = isset( $content_struct['mt_excerpt'] ) ? $content_struct['mt_excerpt'] : '';
+		$post_more    = isset( $content_struct['mt_text_more'] ) ? $content_struct['mt_text_more'] : '';
 
-		$tags_input = isset( $content_struct['mt_keywords'] ) ? $content_struct['mt_keywords'] : null;
+		$tags_input = isset( $content_struct['mt_keywords'] ) ? $content_struct['mt_keywords'] : array();
 
 		if ( isset( $content_struct['mt_allow_comments'] ) ) {
 			if ( ! is_numeric( $content_struct['mt_allow_comments'] ) ) {
@@ -5536,10 +5533,10 @@ class wp_xmlrpc_server extends IXR_Server {
 		}
 
 		if ( $post_more ) {
-			$post_content = $post_content . '<!--more-->' . $post_more;
+			$post_content .= '<!--more-->' . $post_more;
 		}
 
-		$to_ping = null;
+		$to_ping = '';
 		if ( isset( $content_struct['mt_tb_ping_urls'] ) ) {
 			$to_ping = $content_struct['mt_tb_ping_urls'];
 			if ( is_array( $to_ping ) ) {
@@ -5555,12 +5552,11 @@ class wp_xmlrpc_server extends IXR_Server {
 			$dateCreated = $content_struct['dateCreated']->getIso();
 		}
 
+		$post_date     = '';
+		$post_date_gmt = '';
 		if ( ! empty( $dateCreated ) ) {
 			$post_date     = iso8601_to_datetime( $dateCreated );
 			$post_date_gmt = iso8601_to_datetime( $dateCreated, 'gmt' );
-		} else {
-			$post_date     = '';
-			$post_date_gmt = '';
 		}
 
 		$post_category = array();
@@ -5786,7 +5782,7 @@ class wp_xmlrpc_server extends IXR_Server {
 			$menu_order = $content_struct['wp_page_order'];
 		}
 
-		$page_template = null;
+		$page_template = '';
 		if ( ! empty( $content_struct['wp_page_template'] ) && 'page' === $post_type ) {
 			$page_template = $content_struct['wp_page_template'];
 		}
@@ -5894,7 +5890,7 @@ class wp_xmlrpc_server extends IXR_Server {
 			$post_excerpt = $content_struct['mt_excerpt'];
 		}
 
-		$post_more = isset( $content_struct['mt_text_more'] ) ? $content_struct['mt_text_more'] : null;
+		$post_more = isset( $content_struct['mt_text_more'] ) ? $content_struct['mt_text_more'] : '';
 
 		$post_status = $publish ? 'publish' : 'draft';
 		if ( isset( $content_struct[ "{$post_type}_status" ] ) ) {
@@ -5911,7 +5907,7 @@ class wp_xmlrpc_server extends IXR_Server {
 			}
 		}
 
-		$tags_input = isset( $content_struct['mt_keywords'] ) ? $content_struct['mt_keywords'] : null;
+		$tags_input = isset( $content_struct['mt_keywords'] ) ? $content_struct['mt_keywords'] : array();
 
 		if ( 'publish' === $post_status || 'private' === $post_status ) {
 			if ( 'page' === $post_type && ! current_user_can( 'publish_pages' ) ) {
@@ -5925,7 +5921,7 @@ class wp_xmlrpc_server extends IXR_Server {
 			$post_content = $post_content . '<!--more-->' . $post_more;
 		}
 
-		$to_ping = null;
+		$to_ping = '';
 		if ( isset( $content_struct['mt_tb_ping_urls'] ) ) {
 			$to_ping = $content_struct['mt_tb_ping_urls'];
 			if ( is_array( $to_ping ) ) {
diff --git a/wp-includes/post.php b/wp-includes/post.php
index be02cc401f..44f00898ab 100644
--- a/wp-includes/post.php
+++ b/wp-includes/post.php
@@ -4034,6 +4034,7 @@ function wp_get_recent_posts( $args = array(), $output = ARRAY_A ) {
  *                                         child terms can have the same names with different parent terms,
  *                                         so the only way to connect them is using ID. Default empty.
  *     @type array  $meta_input            Array of post meta values keyed by their post meta key. Default empty.
+ *     @type string $page_template         Page template to use.
  * }
  * @param bool  $wp_error         Optional. Whether to return a WP_Error on failure. Default false.
  * @param bool  $fire_after_hooks Optional. Whether to fire the after insert hooks. Default true.
diff --git a/wp-includes/version.php b/wp-includes/version.php
index 0e4ea386d6..c4bd2e9c07 100644
--- a/wp-includes/version.php
+++ b/wp-includes/version.php
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
  *
  * @global string $wp_version
  */
-$wp_version = '6.1-beta1-54319';
+$wp_version = '6.1-beta1-54320';
 
 /**
  * Holds the WordPress DB revision, increments when changes are made to the WordPress DB schema.