CNN’s Abby Phillip Calls Out Biden Administration Trying to ‘Blame Putin’ for High Gas Prices: ‘Americans Just Don’t Buy That’

CNN’s Abby Phillip is calling out the White House for trying to blame soaring gas prices on Vladimir Putin and the conflict in Ukraine.

Phillip’s remark came during an Inside Politics Sunday discussion about the economy at large. President Joe Biden and others in the administration have touted various positive economic indicators such as job and wage growth. But on the CNN panel Sunday, Axios political reporter Hans Nichols argued that the White House cannot escape the fact that gas prices are currently soaring.

“When inflation is where it’s at, when you see gas prices going where it’s at, we can talk about a jobs report here, we can talk about the latest PCE [personal consumption expenditures] numbers or the CPI [consumer price index], and all of us former Bloomberg reporters can really get into the weeds, right?” Nichols said. “But there’s one number that they can’t really change right now. And that is what the placard says at the local gas station.”

Phillip agreed, and noted that the White House tag line for the week was the “Putin price hikes.”

“When I pass gas stations that say ‘Blame Putin’ more than they say, ‘Let’s go Brandon,’ I’ll know the White House has been successful in messaging,” Nichols replied.

Phillip went on to cite a Quinnipiac poll which found more Americans blamed high gas prices on Biden policies than any other factor.

“”Americans just don’t buy this is related to the war in Ukraine, and most of it frankly is not,” Phillip said. She added, “The White House is trying to do both — blame Putin, blame the oil and gas companies. But Americans just don’t agree.”

Watch above, via CNN.