As we reported in a post a week ago, the New York Times’ Blake Hounshell was wondering how the White House could get out of this jam: Republicans were criticizing him for not putting sanctions on Russian energy imports, but if he did impose sanctions, gas prices would go up and Republicans would criticize him for that. There was apparently no third option: increase domestic energy production.
Republicans want to be able to criticize Biden either way: They are calling on him to stop importing Russian oil, but if he did, gas prices would go up, which they'd also criticize.
Not clear how the White House gets out of this jam.
— Blake Hounshell (@blakehounshell) March 1, 2022
Now that the sanctions have been imposed, Biden is saying that gas prices are out of his hands and he can’t do much now; “Russia’s responsible.”
Hounshell is back to note that Biden apparently fell for the Republicans’ “trap,” and now they’re pouncing on him.
Noteworthy: As Biden cuts off Russian oil, McCarthy’s spox is attacking him on Twitter for high oil prices, etc. this is why many Democrats feared a trap. Cc: @crampell
— Blake Hounshell (@blakehounshell) March 8, 2022
We were reading in the mainstream media that Democrats were pushing for sanctions, putting them at odds with the White House. We’re not sure how Republicans forced the president to do anything.
The prices have been rising for months, democrat operative / journalismer.
— Erik (@winefishdawg) March 8, 2022
The trap was democrats getting idiot republicans to support the Russian oil ban *without* a corresponding increase in US oil, giving Biden cover. https://t.co/4robli0CEZ
— The Partyman (@PartymanRandy) March 8, 2022
⛽️ 💡 hack.
— Doctor of Coding Thinkology (@bradcundiff) March 8, 2022
The average American knows we were energy independent when Biden took office. It's gonna be very hard to spin but it will be fun to see what the Times comes up with.
— Teddy Cohen (@TeddyCohen133) March 8, 2022
— Billy McBeath (@BillyMcBeath) March 8, 2022
So…we're just gonna pretend like gas prices haven't been going well before Russia invaded #Ukraine
— Sharlotte Jackson (@CoachSharlotte) March 8, 2022
Maybe time to be seen doing something besides buying oil from unreliable international partners. If he hadn’t already closed a pipeline, he wouldn’t be able to do so now. Deserves a reputation for hostility to domestic energy production.
— Mike Giancotti (@giancotti_m) March 8, 2022
Biden declared war on fossil fuels and domestic energy production during his debates with Donald Trump, when he said if elected he would transition from the oil industry.
Remind me again of the GOP platform on energy? Thx. pic.twitter.com/cadVRRjx8h
— Chip Gross (@chipgro) March 8, 2022
Ok come on guys. They were already deep in the trap months before this and they set it themselves.
— Matt Whitlock (@mattdizwhitlock) March 8, 2022
Trap?
He shut down Keystone, refuses to drill anywhere, kisses the collective asses of the green new deal psychos and therefore deserves 100% of the condemnation he's receiving for high gas prices.
— David Wohl (@DavidWohl) March 8, 2022
No trap here. The idiot Biden just did a foolish thing when he restricted drilling, blocked the Keystine pipeline, etc.
Biden also blew it when he encouraged Russia to invade Ukraine by allowing the NordStream II pipeline, his “minor incursion” remark, flawed Afghanistan exit..
— wernet (@wernet) March 8, 2022
Noteworthy: people are not as dumb as you think they are.
— bone (@bone0303) March 8, 2022
There are a lot of Democrats in the replies calling Republicans hypocrites for criticizing Biden for high gas prices after calling for sanctions and they want the media to do better and call out these “attacks.”
Related:
NYT editor doesn’t know how the White House gets out of the jam of being blamed for high gas prices https://t.co/AfKjK0AebF
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) March 1, 2022