POLL: Americans Blame Putin and Oil Companies for Higher Gas Prices Over Biden

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A new poll finds that most Americans blame Vladimir Putin and oil companies more than they blame President Joe Biden for the rising cost of gas.
ABC News and Ipsos conducted a study over the weekend which focused on how Biden has been handling the situation in Ukraine after a month of devastation by the invading Russian military. Biden’s disapproval with Ukraine currently stands at 53 percent, according to the poll, and 68 percent of people also disapprove of how he has been handling gas price increases.
The poll found that about half of the country is experiencing financial hardship because of gas prices, and respondents were asked for who they hold responsible for this. Biden and the Democratic Party averaged at about 52 percent of people who give them both a “good amount” of the blame for current prices. However, 68 percent of responders assigned much of the blame to the oil companies, and 71 percent put the blame on Putin.
The poll found that Biden’s approval ratings are underwater on the economy, crime, and a number of other areas, even though he retains 58 percent approval on Covid response. The poll concentrated on other parts of the Ukraine situation though, with 79 percent of people calling for more sanctions on Russia, 70 percent in favor of more military aid to Ukraine, and 53 percent in favor of sending more U.S. troops to nearby European countries.
There is little support for policies that would risk escalating the size and scale of the conflict, however. Fifty-five percent of responders oppose the idea of sending U.S. troops into Ukraine, and 38 percent disapprove of setting up a no-fly zone over Ukraine.
Throughout the war in Ukraine, the Biden administration has attempted to blame Russia for rising prices and other economic stressors gripping America. Their messaging has had limited success though since previous polls suggest most Americans say gas prices are on Biden’s policies.