Conservative commentator Bill Kristol accused President Donald Trump of begging Russian President Vladimir Putin for a few thousand barrels of diesel while Russia continues to arm Iran, calling it a stunning display of submission and weakness from an American president. In a post on X, Kristol wrote, "The Russians have provided Iran with intelligence, ammunition, and explosives...Trump's response is to beg Putin for a few thousand barrels of diesel. This is the most stunning display of submission and weakness from an American president ever."
The criticism follows a recent report detailing a series of events involving the Trump administration's energy policies and Russia sanctions. According to the report in The Bulwark, the sequence began on September 23 when reports surfaced that Trump was planning to ban U.S. diesel exports — an idea he later abandoned. On October 5, Trump signed an executive order allowing "red-dyed diesel" to be used on road vehicles. Red-dyed diesel is indistinguishable from commercial diesel except for a red dye marking it for use only in farm equipment, serving as a tax carve-out that exempts it from the federal 24.4 cent highway tax.
Then on October 9, Trump announced on Truth Social that he was lifting sanctions against the import of Russian diesel. The Bulwark's report quoted the announcement: "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. Additionally, based on the condition of their Diesel Refineries, Russia will then deliver, within a short period of time, 3,000,000 Tons of Diesel Fuel."
Kristol's criticism echoed broader concerns raised in the report, which also referenced a separate incident involving U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). According to an ABC affiliate in Harris County, Texas, video was released showing an ICE vehicle running over a pedestrian. The report in The Bulwark disputed the official characterization of the incident, stating that the man was running in a line away from the ICE truck and that the truck followed and ran him down. The report further claimed that regular order is over and that no factual statements from the U.S. government can be presumed true.
The events described by The Bulwark, which mix domestic energy policy with foreign sanctions relief, have drawn criticism from those who argue the administration is prioritizing Russian fuel imports over domestic production and national security interests. The report suggested that Trump's actions point to a dangerous dynamic in the White House, though it did not elaborate fully in the available excerpt.
Kristol has been a persistent critic of Trump and has frequently taken to social media to condemn the president's foreign policy moves, particularly those involving Russia. His latest post amplifies the charge that Trump is projecting weakness on the world stage while Russia and its allies act aggressively.
The White House has not publicly responded to Kristol's statement, and the accuracy of the underlying claims about the diesel arrangement and the ICE incident remains a matter of public dispute. The Bulwark report is an opinion piece and does not provide verification for the alleged events beyond its own assertions.
Our Take
Once again, the left is trying to paint President Trump's pragmatic energy decisions as weakness. While Bill Kristol and his allies in the media clutch their pearls over diesel imports, the reality is that American families need affordable fuel, and if Russia can provide it while we rebuild our own supply chains, that's called smart business, not submission. The real weakness was the previous administration's war on American energy, which left us dependent on foreign sources in the first place. Trump is putting America first, and no amount of Never-Trump hysteria will change that.
