Trump blames Ukraine war and Democrats for US gasoline prices
Version 2: No new facts in the news itself; a third outlet, Maeil Business, has now reported the same Truth Social post, and the coverage continues to frame it as blame-shifting ahead of the midterms.
In short
US President Donald Trump said in a Truth Social post on October 5 that rising gasoline prices are no longer a Strait of Hormuz problem, because record volumes of crude are flowing through the strait almost daily, and that the issue is now refining capacity. He said Russian refineries are being bombed by Ukraine and US refineries are closing in Democratic-run states such as California. Yonhap, CBS NoCut News and Maeil Business reported that the remarks shift blame away from the Iran war and toward the Ukraine war and Democratic state policies ahead of November midterm elections.
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US President Donald Trump said on October 5 that the rise in gasoline prices is no longer a Strait of Hormuz problem, because “nearly record volumes of barrels” of crude are now coming out of the strait almost every day. In a post on Truth Social, he said the problem is refining: Russian refineries are being bombed by Ukraine, and “our refineries are closing in Democratic states like California by stupid Democrats.” He presented refinery capacity, not crude supply, as the cause of higher pump prices. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Yonhap reported that the remarks amount to assigning responsibility for gasoline prices to the Ukraine war and to policies in Democratic-led states rather than to the Iran war it said Trump started. CBS NoCut News reported the same quotes and framed the post as an attempt to avoid blame as higher diesel and gasoline prices weigh on the November midterm elections. Maeil Business also reported the post under the framing that Trump was shifting blame to others. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
The outlets noted Trump had made similar arguments earlier. On September 15 he said the global rise in diesel prices was mainly due to the Russia-Ukraine war, not Iran, and on September 21 he said Russia had lost control of its diesel industry because of the war and urged an end to the fighting. CBS NoCut News said Trump launched the Iran war in February this year; Yonhap referred to the Iran war he started without giving a date. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Yonhap added that Trump pressed European countries including France and Germany to release diesel reserves, saying he could ban US diesel exports if they did not, and that the G7 countries agreed to release 100 million barrels of diesel and crude. Those details appeared only in Yonhap's report. [ 1 ]
Why it matters
The statements come as higher diesel and gasoline prices are framed as a liability for Trump's party before November midterm elections, which is why Washington is pressing allies on reserves. Yonhap reports the US pushed European countries to release stockpiles and that the G7 agreed to release 100 million barrels of diesel and crude, a move with consequences for global fuel supply. Fuel prices are also a direct import-cost issue for readers in countries that buy oil on world markets.
Key facts
- Trump said on Truth Social on October 5 that gasoline prices are no longer being driven by the Strait of Hormuz because record volumes of crude barrels are flowing through it almost every day. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- He said the problem is refining capacity, claiming Russian refineries are being bombed by Ukraine and US refineries are closing in Democratic-leaning states such as California “by stupid Democrats.” [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Yonhap reported the remarks place responsibility for fuel prices on the Ukraine war and on Democratic-led state policies rather than on the Iran war it said Trump started; CBS NoCut News and Maeil Business framed them as blame-shifting ahead of the midterms. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- CBS NoCut News said Trump launched the Iran war in February this year; Yonhap referred to the Iran war he started without a date. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Trump said on September 15 that the global rise in diesel prices was mainly due to the Russia-Ukraine war, not Iran, and on September 21 said Russia had lost control of its diesel industry and called for an end to the war. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Yonhap reported that Trump pressed European countries including France and Germany to release diesel reserves, threatening a possible ban on US diesel exports, and that the G7 agreed to release 100 million barrels of diesel and crude. [ 1 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Trump posted on Truth Social on October 5 that rising gasoline prices are no longer a Strait of Hormuz problem but a refining problem. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- He said Russian refineries are being bombed by Ukraine and that US refineries are being shut in Democratic-run states such as California. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Trump had earlier, on September 15 and September 21, blamed the Russia-Ukraine war for diesel price rises rather than Iran. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The reports link the timing to November midterm elections, which the outlets say higher diesel and gasoline prices weigh on. [ 1 , 2 ]
Still unclear
- Whether Trump's account of refining capacity and crude flows is accurate All three documents report his claim but none provides data on Strait of Hormuz volumes or on US and Russian refinery capacity, so the assertion is unverified.
- The timing and scope of the Iran war CBS NoCut News says Trump started the Iran war in February this year; Yonhap refers to the Iran war he started without a date; Maeil Business does not mention it.
- The G7 agreement to release 100 million barrels of diesel and crude Reported only by Yonhap, with no date, conditions or confirmation from the other outlets in these documents.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Trump says the global rise in diesel prices is mainly due to the Russia-Ukraine war, not Iran. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Trump says Russia has lost control of its diesel industry because of the war with Ukraine and calls for an end to the fighting. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Trump posts on Truth Social that gasoline prices are no longer a Strait of Hormuz problem and blames refining capacity, Ukraine and Democratic-run states. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Yonhap publishes its report from Washington. [ 1 ]
- CBS NoCut News publishes its report. [ 2 ]
- Maeil Business publishes its report. [ 3 ]