As Twitchy reported earlier, Fox News’ Peter Doocy asked Jen Psaki why the Biden administration had chosen to rebrand the rise in gas prices as the “Putin price hike.” We did a search of Twitter for White House officials trying to get #PutinPriceHike trending, but the only person we found was White House Communications Director Kate Bedingfield:
For months Putin has been saber-rattling, and for months gas prices have been going up – up 75 cents since he began his military build-up.
This is the #PutinPriceHike in action, and @POTUS is going to use every tool at his disposal to shield Americans from pain at the pump.
— Kate Bedingfield (@WHCommsDir) March 9, 2022
Nice try. It's the #BidenEnergyBan. Started the moment he took office. All that followed was predictable and predicted.
— CasualMeyhem (@CasualMeyhem) March 9, 2022
We wondered if the mainstream media would pick up the ball and run with it, and we see that ABC News has decided to tweet about “Putin’s price hike.”
"Putin's price hike" will be borne by American consumers. https://t.co/u85agBu06n
— ABC News (@ABC) March 9, 2022
It took three people to write up a brief piece that never once mentions the rise in gas prices since President Biden took office.
*Biden’s
— Brian Knotts (@brianknotts) March 9, 2022
You spelled "Biden's" wrong.
— Horst De Wermer, DVM, MD, PhD, GED, DDS, MOUSE (@Crapplefratz) March 9, 2022
No one believes you except for the mentally infirm.
— Physics Geek (@physicsgeek) March 9, 2022
Inflation was already accelerating before Putin invaded.
— Corey (@greensandfrways) March 9, 2022
"Putin's price hike"? pic.twitter.com/8MUoz6AXG9
— KingKongDingDong69420 (@KKDD69420) March 9, 2022
It’s wild how Putin’s invasion a week ago lead to soaring prices over a year ago. Basic math, I’m sure.
— Simulated Dr. Evan, Ph.d. in Placation, 187 ASVAB (@LizardKing1893) March 9, 2022
live action pic of ABC carrying water for the Biden administration pic.twitter.com/ebTj9SgXMc
— joes grinding teeth (@joegridingteeth) March 9, 2022
ABC News….ready for duty pic.twitter.com/etWr0acCc5
— E.C. (@ec1873) March 9, 2022
— Justice Walker (SCOTUS) (@Circlek8211) March 9, 2022
At least Putin's price hike hasn't surpassed Biden's price hike yet so there's always that…
— Max Diesel (@MaxDieselRI) March 9, 2022
Parroting administration talking points. You're doing great, scribes.
— BillHobson (@BillHobson1) March 9, 2022
What was the reason 3 weeks ago? I didn’t get my instructions like usual
— that damn greek (@cretaninUSA) March 9, 2022
Heck, before President Biden broke down and finally imposed sanctions on Russian energy, Psaki defended his hesitancy by saying that we really don’t import that much oil from Russia anyway, so sanctions wouldn’t really hurt Vladimir Putin.
It has been going up steadily for 13 months – Biden owns it.
— Peter Van Nostrand (@Nostra2Van) March 9, 2022
Reported as misleading.
— Vinny D (@VinnyD716) March 9, 2022
Just think, If Putin had started this war last year, we could blame the war on Ukraine from the hugh price increases on toilet paper.
— Kenny maxwell (@Kenneth46574980) March 9, 2022
Inflation was "painfully high" before Putin took Ukraine, per sources. pic.twitter.com/hBMRlAZtVt
— Razor (@hale_razor) March 9, 2022
We are just going to ignore the Day One executive orders that hindered the oil industry and caused prices to rise to begin with? Cool.
— Kirk Williams (@RunninXC) March 9, 2022
How is it that it's "Putin's price hike" when OPEC oil was $35.89 a barrel when Joe Biden was elected president, $54.85 when he was inaugurated, and $97.94 when Putin began invading Ukraine?
— Aldous Huxley's Ghost™ (@AF632) March 9, 2022
Media have to protect Joe
— Keith Maniac, from Guatemala (@from_maniac) March 9, 2022
It may backfire to promote this talking point.
The voters may start wondering why we need this administration when Putin decides what happens here.
The voters like to think that they and their government are in charge of their fate, not someone else named Putin.
— Bledar Prifti (@PriftiBledar) March 9, 2022
That’s a good point.
Let’s go BRANDON 🇺🇸
— calikid (@TherealCalikid) March 9, 2022
We haven’t checked with the other broadcast networks to see if they’re parroting the “Putin’s price hike” talking point, but we wouldn’t be surprised.
Related:
Smug Jen Psaki tells Peter Doocy that Fox News is ‘welcome’ to help WH ‘rebrand the rising gas prices as the #PutinPriceHike’ https://t.co/OebOFBf3go
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) March 9, 2022
