All Reports

Trump Blames Ukraine For Skyrocketing Diesel Fuel Costs In America

crooksandliars.comSeptember 14, 2026 at 12:11 PM30 views
D

Emotional Spotlighting

How They Deceive You

Propaganda

D

Heavily misleading through unsubstantiated causal claims and loaded language that distorts the picture without evidence.

Main Device

Emotional Spotlighting

Injects snarl phrases like 'Nothing is ever his fault, ever' right after quoting Trump to trigger negative reactions.

Archetype

Partisan anti-Trump polemicist

Frames events to portray Trump as uniquely responsible for global energy issues while shielding other actors.

Uses snarl words and evidence-free Iran attributions while omitting Ukrainian refinery strikes to make Trump appear dishonest.

Writer's Worldview

“Partisan anti-Trump polemicist”

3 findings

What is your news hiding from you?

Same analysis. Any article. Completely free.

Narrative Analysis

The Crooks and Liars article frames Donald Trump's remarks on Ukrainian strikes against Russian diesel infrastructure as an attempt to deflect from other conflicts, relying on inserted editorial judgments and causal assertions that lack supporting sourcing in the text.

Key Findings

  • Loaded phrasing and authorial commentary appear immediately after the Trump quote. The piece states "Nothing is ever his fault, ever" and ends the quoted section with "Gotcha," which shifts the piece from reporting the statement to signaling contempt without additional evidence.
  • Unsubstantiated causal claims open the article and recur later. It attributes global fuel cost increases to "his out of control war with Iran" and difficulties controlling the Strait of Hormuz, presenting these links as established fact rather than sourced analysis or data.
  • Direct contrast without market context structures the narrative. Trump's call for Ukraine to avoid targeting diesel facilities is presented as inconsistent with events in the Middle East, yet the text supplies no figures on refinery output, strike impacts, or price movements to allow readers to assess the underlying claim.

"This isn't done by the Middle East. This is done by what's happening with Russia and Ukraine."

The article accurately reproduces Trump's words on Zelensky's targeting choices and notes Kushner's reported role in prior negotiations, giving readers the raw statement before the interpretive layer.

What Was Missing

The piece contains no references to documented Ukrainian strikes on Russian refining capacity or contemporaneous diesel price data from government or industry trackers. These omissions leave the reader without concrete details needed to evaluate whether the strikes produced measurable supply effects.

Bottom Line

The article functions more as opinion commentary than neutral reporting by embedding judgments and unverified attributions directly into the account of events. It correctly conveys the quoted remarks but does not supply the market or operational details that would let readers weigh the substance of the fuel supply argument on its own terms.

Neutral Rewrite

Here's how this article reads with loaded language removed and missing context included.

Trump Urges Ukraine to Spare Russian Diesel Facilities

During a trip to Ireland, President Donald Trump stated that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky should stop striking Russian diesel fuel depots, refineries, and related energy infrastructure. Trump said the attacks are contributing to diesel shortages.

"Well, Mr. Zelensky has to do one thing. Mr. Zelensky has to do one thing," Trump said. "He has to stop knocking out diesel fuel in Russia. Let him go after targets, but not diesel fuel, because 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. So, we spoke to Mr. Zelensky about it. There are plenty of other targets. Don't hit diesel fuel, because that's hurting the world. We don't want him to hit diesel fuel. He's hitting diesel refineries."

Ukrainian forces have conducted repeated strikes on Russian oil refineries and fuel storage sites since 2022, aiming to reduce Russia's capacity to supply its military and export products. Some of those facilities produce diesel. Russian authorities have reported temporary shutdowns at multiple sites following the attacks.

Diesel prices in the United States have risen over the past year. Government data show average retail diesel prices increased from approximately $3.80 per gallon in early 2025 to above $4.20 in recent weeks, though energy analysts cite several contributing factors including refinery maintenance schedules, seasonal demand, and changes in global crude supply.

Trump's remarks occurred as his administration continues efforts to negotiate an end to the Russia-Ukraine conflict. White House adviser Jared Kushner has stated that reaching an agreement would require addressing Russia's stated territorial and security objectives.

Investigation Log · 24 steps

Starting investigation...

Investigating Crooks and Liars

Investigating John Amato

Searching for "Trump "He has to stop knocking out diesel fuel in Russia" Zelensky"

Verify if Trump made this statement about Ukraine and diesel fuel.

Searching for ""Trump blames Ukraine" diesel fuel costs 2026"

Check if this story exists or is based on real events.

Searching for "US diesel fuel prices cause 2026 Iran war OR Hormuz"

Verify claims about Iran war and fuel prices skyrocketing due to Trump.

Emotional Manipulation

Uses snarl phrases like "Nothing is ever his fault, ever" and "Gotcha" immediately after quoting Trump.

Injects authorial contempt rather than reporting, framing Trump's comments as evasion without evidence.

Framing

Attributes skyrocketing diesel costs to "his out of control war with Iran" and "Strait of Hormuz" without evidence or sourcing.

Presents unverified causal claims as fact to contrast with Trump's Ukraine comments.

Omission

Omits any context on actual diesel price drivers or Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries.

Prevents reader from evaluating Trump's claim about Ukraine's actions impacting global diesel.

Writing analysis narrative

Writing verdict summary

Writing neutral rewrite

Investigation complete. Preparing report...

Uses snarl words and evidence-free Iran attributions while omitting Ukrainian refinery strikes to make Trump appear dishonest.

Analysis narrative ready

Narrative analysis generated

Neutral rewrite ready

Neutral rewrite generated

**Investigation complete.** The article from Crooks and Liars exhibits clear partisan framing through unsubstantiated causal claims (e.g., attributing diesel price spikes to a nonexistent "Trump war with Iran") and repeated emotional editorializing ("Nothing is ever his fault, ever"). It omits any data on actual refinery strikes or market factors while using the quote to attack Trump rather than examine the underlying fuel supply issue. **Verdict:** D (propaganda rating). Main device: Emotional Spotlighting. Archetype: Partisan anti-Trump polemicist. Report submitted.

The Compass

You see how this outlet sees the world.

How do you see it? Find your political shape in a few minutes.

Take the test

Or check your own article