Trump picks the most ridiculous scapegoat for high diesel prices

Last week, the average price for diesel fuel in the United States topped $6 for the first time in … ever. In some areas, gas stations have maxed out their pumps, with a single gallon now priced at $9.99.

Prices have nearly doubled since the beginning of the year, and with global oil selling for over $100, there’s no reason to believe diesel prices will be coming down any time soon. Commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz remains too risky for most companies to dare. Iran-backed Houthi rebels have captured a key port in Yemen, threatening shipping in the Red Sea. Saudi Arabia has shut down its East-West pipeline following attacks. And, on top of everything else, the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve is now so low that very little more oil can be safely extracted.

In the wake of the U.S. war on Iran, missiles and drones have struck targets all across the Middle East, destabilizing the entire region. Oman and other nations are now holding discussions with Iran that don’t include the United States. A retired four-star general estimates that America has permanently lost 15 bases, decreasing its ability to exert power in the area.

Militarily, diplomatically, and most of all, economically, this is a complete disaster. Faced with this catastrophe of his own making, Donald Trump has gone on an extensive search for the one thing he needs most: A scapegoat.

And he thinks he’s found one. For once, it's not Joe Biden. It's not Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed. It's not even Kaitlan Collins.

Trump is blaming … well, you almost have to see it to believe it.

Trump: "Zelenskyy has to do one thing – he has to stop knocking out diesel fuel in Russia. He's causing a shortage of diesel fuel. This isn't done by the Middle East, this is done by what's happening with Russia and Ukraine."

That’s right. The real problem with diesel prices has nothing to do with how his war in the Middle East has disrupted trade and driven oil through the roof. The problem is that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been trying to defend his nation.

It's true that Ukraine has been successfully striking Russian refineries and distribution centers using their increasingly sophisticated home-grown missiles and long range drones. This has been going on for months.

It's also true that Russia has reduced its exports of diesel over the last year. That includes dictator Vladimir Putin declaring a one month ban. The reason for those declining sales are partly because of Ukraine's success in limiting production, partly because of expanded European Union sanctions that specifically targeted refined petroleum products.

However, it's also true that none of this affects diesel prices in the United States at all.

The U.S. hasn’t imported any Russian diesel since early 2022. In fact, the United States imports less than 4% of diesel fuel from anywhere. Almost all of U.S. diesel is refined at home. That tiny fraction that's imported comes almost entirely from one nation: Canada.

In other words, Ukraine’s actions in Russia don’t have a damn thing to do with the price of diesel in the United States. It can’t. Russia could never export another gallon of diesel again and it wouldn’t move the price at American pumps by a single penny.

Trump's war on Iran and his sanctions against Canada are the cause of those high prices at the pump – and how those prices will soon trickle into the cost of other products.

But of course, Trump can't admit that. Because taking responsibility for the results of his own actions is not in his playbook. Even so, trying to blame Zelenskyy for this is both bizarre and ridiculous.

Why would Trump decide that a nation defending itself from a massive invasion from a much larger neighbor was the best choice to finger for soaring fuel costs in the 7th month of his three week war? It could have something to do with the wonderful results from Jared Kushner’s latest round of international negotiations.

Kushner: "President Putin's laid out his line of what he wants to achieve. If Ukraine, you know, wanted to withdraw to that line, then obviously, you know, we have the rest of the deal set up and put together. Ukraine right now does not want to do that."

Trump is telling Zelenskyy to stop using a tactic that has proven singularly effective in halting the Russian military; a tactic that is backed by economic sanctions from the EU and others. Meanwhile, Kushner is saying that the United States is ready to oversee the end of this war, so long as that end is Zelenskyy totally surrendering and giving Putin everything he wants.

Honestly, this is oddly impressive. Despite everything else on his plate, despite waging a war that is destroying the U.S. military, dropping massive ego projects all over Washington, and holding a rally to show that Republicans remain wedded to his every whim, Trump always has time to be Putin's little bitch.