More Americans blame Putin for gas prices than Biden, poll shows

The Biden administration's talking points appear to have struck a nerve. According to an ABC News/Ipsos poll released Saturday, more Americans blame Russian President Vladimir Putin for high gas prices than blame President Biden.

Seventy-one percent of Americans said they blamed Putin for pain at the pump either "a great deal" or "a good amount," compared to 51 percent for Biden. Fifty-two percent said they blamed Democratic Party policies, while 68 percent said they blamed oil companies.

About "half of those polled," Politico reports, "said paying more for fuel has not caused financial hardship for them, but 21 percent said it is causing them 'serious' financial hardship."

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

Lawmakers grilled oil executives on Capitol Hill Wednesday, saying that while crude oil prices fell after an initial spike following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, prices at the pump have not seen a corresponding drop. Chevron CEO Mike Wirth said it takes time for competition at gas stations to bring prices down.

The poll surveyed 530 adults between April 8 and 9. It has an error margin of 4.9 percentage points.