Democrats are using a tactic frequently used by Republicans: taking aim at the president for increasing gas prices, Politico reported.
Democratic lawmakers are saying that President Donald Trump’s foreign policy moves, such as his call to reimpose sanctions against Iran, are responsible for the 50-cent per gallon gas price increase since Trump became president, the report said.
Gas is the most expensive it has been in four years, while oil companies brought in billions from the Republican-backed tax bill, Democrats are saying.
"There’s a straight line between Trump’s policies and the price of gasoline," said Rep. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii.
"Whatever meager benefit working families may have seen from Trump’s tax scam for the rich has been wiped out by the gas prices that President Trump is responsible for," Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. said Wednesday.
Proving that Trump is responsible for the increase could prove difficult, however. The White House has little control over the prices of gas; the prices track the moves of the global crude oil market, which has increased prices more than 60 percent since June.
The collapse of Venezuela’s oil industry has also contributed to the issue, as the country is one of the U.S.’s biggest foreign suppliers, Politico reported.
Trump and Republicans could benefit from one tactic, analysts say: release oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, storage sites that contain barrels of crude, which the government could sell to refiners to push prices down, Politico reported.
"He might see such as a signal that he cares, and one that might deflect some criticism for higher gasoline prices due to Iranian sanctions," said Gary Ross, S&P Global Platts head of global oil analytics, Politico reported.
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