Andrew McCarthy, a political commentator who supported Donald Trump across three successive presidential campaigns, published a piece arguing that a reported oil arrangement between Trump and Putin constituted a form of public deception — attributing elevated diesel prices to decisions made within the administration rather than to external factors. That position sits in tension with production figures showing domestic diesel output already exceeds national demand by approximately one million barrels per day.
McCarthy noted that the surplus places the United States as the leading diesel-exporting nation, while Russia's role in that trade has contracted sharply. He used that point to challenge the premise that Moscow could serve as a reliable energy supplier, citing that Russia's own sector had been drawing diesel imports from South Korea earlier that year and that the arrangement under discussion required no concessions from Russia's side.
McCarthy characterised the arrangement as an attempt by Trump to persuade voters that concrete action was being taken to address price increases tied to his own trade policies. He also described Putin as someone who had continued strikes against Ukrainian civilians throughout the period when Trump was pursuing a negotiated settlement — including during the announcement of the fuel agreement itself. Analysts note that prices are not projected to fall and may rise further, given unresolved tensions involving Iran, a country that maintains close ties with Russia.
Heightened naval activity by Iran in the Strait of Hormuz has unfolded alongside a separate campaign by Houthi forces — who maintain alignment with Tehran — targeting Saudi Arabia and disrupting commercial passage through the Red Sea.
The trade dispute between Trump and Canada — described by McCarthy as a conflict with "our ally and neighbor" — remained unresolved at the time of publication. McCarthy also put forward the view that corruption, as he framed it, stood behind any diesel arrangement involving Putin.
Drawing on anonymous sourcing, a major broadcaster reported in early October that talks between Trump and Putin were said to cover an arrangement worth billions of dollars — one through which the easing of American sanctions would enable an investment group to acquire ownership of Lukoil's oil fields, refineries, and petrol stations situated across multiple countries. Kushner and Witkoff, serving as envoys for the administration, carried the agreement through its negotiating stages.
Among those identified as standing to receive notable financial advantages are Todd Boehly, who has directed roughly $2 million toward political efforts aligned with Trump, along with several Middle Eastern executives whose business dealings intersect with Trump, Kushner, and Witkoff. Separately, McCarthy contended in a written statement that the president — irrespective of whether any law has been broken — is exercising executive power in a manner that bolsters a foreign government engaged in armed conflict and facing war crimes allegations, conduct McCarthy characterised as an abuse of the authority vested in the office.
