Trump's Russia deal leaves GOP candidates with a Putin problem (axios.com)

Republicans already saddled with Trump's unpopular policies in the midterms now face another awkward choice: whether to back his diesel deal with a dictator many of them despise. Why it matters: The agreement President Trump struck with Russian President Vladimir Putin Friday is designed to ease the cost of living for U.S. consumers. But Republicans who pleaded for help with fuel prices now face a fresh dispute over Russia, with energy analysts questioning whether the deal will deliver the relief Trump is promising. The big picture: With three weeks until Election Day, Republicans are trying to answer voter anger while keeping up with a president whose proposed fixes keep becoming political liabilities of their own. Trump's decision to lock arms with Putin adds another complication. Driving the news: Weeks after signing a sweeping Russia sanctions law, Trump announced Friday that Russia would supply diesel to U.S. and global markets. The next day, Trump blamed Ukraine for soaring diesel prices and called for President Volodymyr Zelensky to be replaced, even as Russia continued attacking Ukrainian cities. Republicans who just supported squeezing Moscow have three options in the final sprint for control of Congress: defend Trump's reversal, break with him or stay quiet. Zoom out: The diesel deal packs some of the GOP's biggest liabilities into one decision: the Iran war's economic fallout, the party's split over Russia and a president determined to make the election about himself. The deal also reverses Trump's own pressure campaign. Last year, he slapped an extra 25% tariff on India for buying Russian oil. On Oct. 2, he and other G7 leaders pledged to keep sanctions on Russia. Energy analysts also doubt the deal will do much for diesel prices, which averaged $6.28 a gallon Oct. 11, up 71% from a year earlier. What they're saying: The White House pushed back on criticism of Trump's record: "President Trump has consistently proven his doubters wrong," White House spokesperson Davis Ingle said. A senior administration official said Trump is "laser-focused on bringing down costs, whether it's diesel with the Russians or importing Argentine beef. Some people might not like it, but he's thinking of what Americans are paying and what he can do about it." Friction point: The internal pushback has been swift. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) vowed to force a House vote blocking the oil purchases. Reps. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) and Michael McCaul (R-Texas), along with Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) and John Curtis (R-Utah), already criticized the deal by Sunday. Tillis told NBC News' "Meet the Press" that Trump's deal may violate a law that requires the White House to notify Congress before lifting sanctions. Even MAGA ally Laura Loomer denounced the deal as not only funding Russia but indirectly helping Iran by putting "money back into the coffers of the Islamic regime of Iran." Yes, but: Som