'Deal with the devil': Backlash erupts as Trump turns to Putin for diesel before midterms
Trump is doing a deal with the devil to try to help his flailing political fortunes from the shockingly high diesel prices caused by his own reckless, illegal war in the Middle East. This filthy deal will only aid and abet the same Putin who is helping the Iranians to target and try to kill American troops in the Middle East and who illegally and viciously invaded our ally Ukraine.
— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) October 9, 2026
WASHINGTON, DC: Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle are bashing President Donald Trump’s diesel deal with Russia, describing the move as a "total betrayal of Ukraine" and a "deal with the devil."
President Trump on Friday, October 9, announced what he described as "a highly successful discussion" with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The deal is apparently a part of the administration’s effort to contain the soaring fuel rates in the United States, which has affected the cost of living.
Democrats explode over Trump-Putin diesel deal
Several Democratic lawmakers, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Sens Elizabeth Warren and Jeanne Shaheen, have registered their anger and dismay over Trump’s decision to bring Russian oil to the market to lower the growing prices amid the Iran and Russia-Ukraine war.
Schumer, along with Warren and Shaheen, released a joint statement crticizing the deal.
In a social media post on Friday, Schumer (D-NY) accused Trump of making a “deal with the devil” to save his “flailing political fortune.”
“This filthy deal will only aid and abet the same Putin who is helping the Iranians to target and try to kill American troops in the Middle East and who illegally and viciously invaded our ally Ukraine,” Schumer wrote.
"After launching a war with Iran that has spiked gas and diesel prices for every American, the president is resorting to desperate ‘deals’ with a dictator to attempt to clean up his own mess," the senators added in a joint statement.
After Trump’s war with Iran caused oil prices to spike, the President is now considering bankrolling Russia’s slaughter of Ukrainian civilians. Lifting sanctions on Russia will only fuel Putin’s war machine and prolong the conflict in Ukraine.
— Senator Dick Durbin (@SenatorDurbin) October 9, 2026
Democratic Whip and Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Dick Durbin accused the president of “considering bankrolling Russia’s slaughter of Ukrainian civilians.”
“Lifting sanctions on Russia will only fuel Putin’s war machine and prolong the conflict in Ukraine,” Durbin wrote on social media.
GOP's Lisa Murkowski urges president to reverse course
Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski urged President Trump to reverse course and use the Lindsey O Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 to choke off Russia's oil and gas revenues.
"The president should be using those authorities instead of allowing Russia to export diesel, rake in revenues, and continue its catastrophic war in Ukraine," Murkowski said. "We can discuss Russia’s return to global energy markets once the war is over, but in the meantime, we need to cut off everything fueling it."
What is the deal
The diesel deal between the US and Russia will permit Russian President Vladimir Putin’s government to supply 300,000 tons of diesel to the US and the global marketplace.
“I have just concluded a highly successful discussion with President Vladimir Putin, of Russia, wherein it was agreed that Russia will immediately supply over 300,000 Tons of Diesel Fuel to the American and Global Marketplace, another 500,000 Tons during the month of November, and 1,000,000 Tons immediately thereafter,” Trump wrote in a Friday post on Truth Social.
The deal comes amid Trump’s deteriorating approval rating and poll surveys suggesting that rising living cost could affect Republicans' chances in the midterms scheduled to take place in less than a month.
