CNN anchor abruptly fact-checks top Biden adviser for claiming Putin is responsible for record-high gas prices

CNN anchor Jake Tapper called out a top Biden administration official on Monday for claiming that Russian President Vladimir Putin is responsible for record-high gas prices in the United States.

What happened?

During an interview with Brian Deese, director of the National Economic Council, Tapper asked about the "exorbitant" price of gasoline. But Deese completely deflected responsibility from Biden for the growing problem.

"Today on average gas is costing $4.60 a gallon. That's up more than 10 cents a gallon from last week, almost 50 cents from last month. We're one week away from Memorial Day. Should Americans be buckling up for these high prices for the entire summer?" Tapper pressed.

"Well, we're doing everything we can to try to bring those prices down," Deese responded. "As you know, this all emanates from Putin's decision to invade Ukraine, which took Russian oil off the market."

Tapper, however, did not let the falsehood go unchecked.

"Not all of it. Not all of it," he shot back. "I mean, some of it, yes."

As Tapper indicated, it is true that Putin's decision to invade Ukraine — triggering a wave of crippling economic sanctions against Russia — is responsible for some of the increased cost of gas.

However, the price of gasoline has been steadily rising since Biden was inaugurated last year.

The oil and gas market is undoubtedly volatile and susceptible to subtle market shifts, especially in the shadow of COVID lockdowns that injected extreme upheaval into the global market and supply chain. But the Biden administration's hostility toward fossil fuels is no secret.

That antagonism has not lifted during the gas price crisis, which analysts at JPMorgan unfortunately predict will only get worse in the coming months. They believe that national gas prices could top $6 per gallon by August, a startling prediction that will hurt cash-strapped Americans who are already barely scraping by thanks to sky-high inflation.