Trump somehow blames Ukraine for high US gas prices as he gets clobbered over it on campaign trail

President Donald Trump said Monday that the Strait of Hormuz is no longer what is pushing up gasoline prices, pointing instead to refineries. In a Truth Social post, he asserted that Ukraine is destroying Russian refineries and that Democrats are shutting down American ones in blue states such as California. The Independent reports that his meaning was unclear, and that the claims sit awkwardly with the facts it cites. The United States stopped importing Russian oil and gas products in March 2022, after the federal government banned them, and before the invasion of Ukraine that year Russian products made up only about eight percent of imported petroleum products. The Independent adds that Texas and Louisiana, both under Republican control, hold the bulk of the country's refineries.

The comments come less than a month before the midterm elections, as the war with Iran that Trump continues to pursue remains unpopular. According to the Independent, drivers buying unleaded gasoline pay roughly $67 more per month than a year ago, while AAA says diesel buyers pay at least $139 more monthly.

Trump has previously argued that higher fuel costs are a fair trade for curbing Iran's nuclear capability.

Summarized by PolitiKool from The Independent’s reporting. Read the full story at The Independent →