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In recent weeks it's become clear that Republicans' base strategy is to simply blame anything and everything on Democratic President Joe Biden, regardless of whether or not it makes any sense. Their latest ploy is particularly ridiculous: according to them, Biden is now in league with Russian hackers.
Republican Congressman Madison Cawthorn has repeatedly blamed Biden for the fallout of Russian hackers attacking one of the US's most important gas pipelines last week.
58% of North Carolina\u2019s gas stations are still out of fuel. Biden\u2019s weakness on the world stage is costing the working families of NC-11.— Madison Cawthorn (@Madison Cawthorn) 1621277487
Cawthorn's home state of North Carolina was among the hardest hit by the gasoline shortages caused by the shutdown of the Colonial Pipeline, which runs from Houston to the New York City area, following a ransomware attack by Russian hacking group Dark Side.
Because the pipeline carries roughly half of the South's and Eastern Seaboard's gasoline, widespread outages and hours-long lines at gas stations ensued in several states. These shortages were exacerbated when spooked customers panic bought and hoarded gasoline.
The White House has said that Biden does not believe the Russian government was involved in the hack that shuttered the pipeline. And as many have noted, though the Biden Administration stepped in to assist with the fallout from the pipeline shutdown, fuel distribution is a private enterprise carried out by private corporations. It is not managed by the Biden administration, or any state or local governments, for that matter.
Reminder 1: NC's Gas stations aren't a concern "on the world stage"\n\nReminder 2: supply of fuel to gas stations is organized by private companies\n\nReminder 3: one of these companies shut down their pipeline because they got hacked.\n\nReminder 4: this has nothing to do with Biden.— Walpurga M\u00fcller-Schm (@Walpurga M\u00fcller-Schm) 1621278375
Nevertheless, that hasn't stopped Cawthorn and many of his colleagues from blaming Biden's foreign and energy policy for causing a gasoline crisis in North Carolina and several other states.
The #BidenGasShortage continues to affect NC-11 negatively.\n\nAlthough I am happy to see stations within Transylvania County resupplied, gas prices in NC have increased significantly.\n\nBiden's energy policies & weak "leadership" hurt NC-11 every day.https://www.transylvaniatimes.com/story/2021/05/13/news/gas-shortage-sparks-long-lines/49341.html\u00a0\u2026— Rep. Madison Cawthorn (@Rep. Madison Cawthorn) 1621278670
On Twitter, many found Cawthorn's remarks ludicrous.
North Carolina's gas stations are on the WORLD STAGE?\n\nGosh...I would think the world might be concerned with COVID, the middle east, Russia, THEIR OWN COUNTRIES.....\n\nBut if you say so son....Lets see some examples...Just ONE non US media source discussing NC's gas stations?— MITTY (Ntchwaidumela) (@MITTY (Ntchwaidumela)) 1621280767
Weird. There\u2019s gas literally at all the stations by me. You just like to cause problems.— Alexis (@Alexis) 1621277515
As a \u201cleader,\u201d you could advise your constituents to stop panic purchasing gasoline. \n\nInstead, you chose to gaslight.— Your Conscience Speaking (@Your Conscience Speaking) 1621279575
We wish you were here in NC11 solving this crisis, Mr. Cawthorn. I waited 17.5 minutes for gas this morning, and did not see YOU there handling things and making my life better.— George "gas bag" Ladshaw (@George "gas bag" Ladshaw) 1621277647
Yea cause it had nothing to do with the panic that was caused when certain people were screaming as loud as they could how there wouldnt be gas and people were filling 20 containers at a time.Btw when did the gov start running that private company?— Steve (@Steve) 1621338554
A private company was ransom-wared. Biden's energy policies did not cause the Gas Shortage. Keep trying' to point fingers and offer no real solutions other than grandstanding.— JWom (@JWom) 1621280874
If only Trump had taken Cyber security seriously— Oddzilla (@Oddzilla) 1621282177
Expounding on your simple view of the world. Yeah, Biden had targeted NC-11 specifically.\n\nAlso, crack open a textbook on supply and demand.— Madison Cawthorn's Chin (@Madison Cawthorn's Chin) 1621279956
The pipeline is a privately owned company. Talk to them— Jim (@Jim) 1621285337
You're a feckin idiot. It's 51% today and it wouldn't be that if selfish fools hadn't panicked last week. Go home and let an adult do the job you can't.https://twitter.com/CawthornforNC/status/1394364961124724740\u00a0\u2026— RedApeCurmudgeon (@RedApeCurmudgeon) 1621282651
Cawthorn has not yet explained what, if any, connection exists between a hacker group's ransomware attack and Biden's foreign and energy policy, or how the latter led to the former.