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Trump Blames Ukraine and Blue States for Rising Gas Prices
Confirmed
In Short: With the United States midterm elections approaching, Trump has attempted to shift blame for high fuel prices from the US-Israel war on Iran to Democrats and Ukraine’s attacks on Russian refineries.
President Donald Trump blamed Ukraine's attacks on Russian oil facilities and refinery closures in Democratic-led states for rising fuel costs in the United States, according to a Truth Social post on Monday.
The average price for a gallon of gasoline is now $4.36, up from $4.14 a month ago and $2.98 on February 28, when the US and Israel first struck Iran, according to the American Automobile Association (AAA).
Trump said in his post, 'What’s driving up Gasoline is no longer the Strait of Hormuz, because Record Numbers of Barrels are coming out now on an almost daily basis, but the word, ‘Refineries,’ where Russia’s are being blown up by Ukraine, and where ours are being closed up, in Blue States, like California, by the Dumocrats.'
According to a recent analysis from the International Energy Agency (IEA), the Ukrainian drone strikes have caused Russian gasoline production to drop by 20% and diesel by nearly 30% compared with 2025 levels.
Rachel Ziemba, senior adjunct fellow at the Center for a New American Security, told Al Jazeera, 'The ongoing conflicts with Iran and Russia’s war with Ukraine are reinforcing each other, impairing oil product markets, but Middle Eastern flows are far from normal.'
Ziemba added, 'The damage to Russia’s refineries – and risk of more US sanctions on those who process Russian oil – are exacerbating the situation, but the underlying issue is still the volatile flows from the Middle East, the greater difficulty getting oil products out and the lower buffers in place.'
A recent AP-NORC poll found that 65 percent of Americans blamed Trump’s policies for higher prices, while 61 percent said the US economy is worse off than when Trump returned to office.
The White House has faced pressure from agricultural groups and Republican lawmakers to address soaring diesel prices.
Diesel prices remain elevated across much of the country, particularly in the West, according to AAA data.
Putin said at a meeting of the Valdai Club forum of international foreign policy experts, 'They started attacking oil refineries and openly declared the goal of damaging our economy. Did they achieve their goal. Partially.'
What's confirmed
- “What’s driving up Gasoline is no longer the Strait of Hormuz, because Record Numbers of Barrels are coming out now on an almost daily basis, but the word, ‘Refineries,’ where Russia’s are being blown up by Ukraine, and where ours are being closed up, in Blue States, like California, by the Dumocrats,” Trump said in a Truth Social post on Monday.
What's still developing
- Petrol prices are continuing to climb for consumers.
- “US tells some [European Union] members to release ‘strategic reserves’ or face a potential US diesel export ban, pushing France and Germany to do so, oil prices, along with gasoline and diesel futures strongly lower as a result,” Patrick DeHaan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, said in a post on X.
- With less than a month away from the 2026 midterm elections, President Donald Trump is pointing the blame at Democrats and other foreign conflicts for the increased cost of fuel at the gas pumps.
- Trump's post came hours after reports that his administration was preparing executive measures to ease diesel prices.
- The comments come amid mounting concern over fuel costs ahead of November's midterm elections, with diesel prices attracting particular scrutiny because of their impact on farmers, truckers, manufacturers and supply chains.
- “Fifty-one percent of struck refining capacity is a significant blow to the enemy's economy, to its ability to carry out aggression and supply its troop groupings. Our deep strikes continue to bring the war to Russian territory,” he said.
- Presidential adviser Serhii “Flash” Beskrestnov said on social media that 12 automated turrets had been installed in Kyiv to counter jet-powered Shahed drones, with more planned.