CBS News was hounded with criticism Wednesday after seeking to suddenly shift the blame for the Biden Administration’s supply-chain issues onto the growing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
“The U.S. economy has been hit with increased gas prices, inflation, and supply-chain issues due to the Ukraine crisis,” CBS News tweeted Tuesday night. “Gas prices soar to record levels in California amid the Ukraine crisis,” ABC similarly tweeted Wednesday morning.
Russia is a dictatorship because they have state-run media that parrots the Putin regime propaganda. Not like America, where we have a totally free press 😒
— Christina Pushaw 🐊🚛 (@ChristinaPushaw) February 23, 2022
The narrative shift on inflation and gas prices caused critics, like Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ communication director Christina Pushaw, to lambast the outlets for pushing “state-run” “propaganda” after previously acknowledging the growing inflation, gas prices, and supply-chain issues plaguing the Biden Administration. (RELATED: Biden Admin Admits They’re Partly Responsible For Supply Chain Chaos)
“Russia is a dictatorship because they have state-run media that parrots the Putin regime propaganda. Not like America, where they have a totally free press,” Pushaw tweeted to CBS, adding an emoji representing sarcasm.
.@Twitter, I need you to label this tweet from @CBSNews as misinformation. Increased gas prices, inflation, and supply-chain issues already exist because of terrible economic policy from the Biden Administration. https://t.co/xMSn9itDEQ
— Byron Donalds (@ByronDonalds) February 23, 2022
Republican Florida Rep. Byron Donalds said the CBS tweet should be labeled “misinformation” by Twitter. “Increased gas prices, inflation, and supply-chain issues already exist because of terrible economic policy from the Biden Administration,” Donalds added.
Do you feel any shame?
— Carol Roth (@caroljsroth) February 23, 2022
New York Times best-selling author Carol Roth asked CBS, “Do you feel any shame?” Her comment has received over 11,000 likes.
Does the media think we are stupid? Inflation has nothing to do with Ukraine and everything to do with President Biden’s policies.
Is Ukraine also to blame for crime, the border, and the mandates?? https://t.co/dOeu0i5GRS
— Herschel Walker (@HerschelWalker) February 23, 2022
Republican Georgia U.S. Senate candidate Herschel Walker joined others blasting the outlet for attempting to blame Russia despite the supply-chain issues beginning long before the Biden Administration warned of a Russian invasion into Ukraine.
“Does the media think we are stupid? Inflation has nothing to do with Ukraine and everything to do with President Biden’s policies,” Walker tweeted. “Is Ukraine also to blame for crime, the border, and the mandates??”
Russia exports 12% of the world’s supply of crude oil, and any disruption to those exports, like the Biden Administration’s to sanction Russia, will likely drive prices at the pump, according to CBS.
“If Russia makes a run on Ukraine, we could see [oil prices] over $100 a barrel next week,” said GasBuddy’s head of petroleum analysis, Patrick Dehaan, reported CBS. “That $4 is something we haven’t seen in so long – it would cause shock waves across America.”
Biden canceled the Keystone pipeline, banned drilling on federal land, and declared war on American energy production.
We warned him this would raise costs for Americans and put our national security at risk.
He didn’t listen.
— Tom Cotton (@TomCottonAR) February 23, 2022
Republican Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton tweeted, “subtle” in response to CBS. In a later tweet, Cotton argued American gas prices were already hitting historical numbers, but it has largely gone ignored by the Biden Administration.
“Biden canceled the Keystone pipeline, banned drilling on federal land, and declared war on American energy production,” tweeted Cotton. “We warned him this would raise costs for Americans and put our national security at risk. He didn’t listen.”
Ukraine caused inflation!
Not our own government printing trillions of dollars to pay people not to work.
Ukraine harmed supply chains!
Not our own government’s mandates and lockdowns.
Do they think we are this dumb? https://t.co/zCwioAJ9Y9
— Matt Gaetz (@mattgaetz) February 23, 2022
Republican Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz also called the outlet out for the narrative shift and for assuming the American people are “dumb.”
“Ukraine caused inflation! Not our government printing trillions of dollars to pay people not to work. Ukraine harmed supply chains! Not our government’s mandates and lockdowns,” tweeted Gaetz ironically. “Do they think we are this dumb?”
