US Politics

Marion McKeone: Saudi oil move has Biden over a barrel

Opec+’s decision to slash output guarantees a surge in US petrol prices in the run-up to the midterm elections; it could be a major setback to Biden’s presidency half way through its first term

Joe Biden, the US president, fist bumps Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Saudi Arabia in July: it’s no secret that bin Salman is unequivocally Team Trump. Picture: Getty

From a fist bump to a gut punch. In less than three months.

There’s an old saying in US politics that foreign policy never wins an election, but it can certainly lose one. For Americans, even those who applaud Biden’s response to Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, the policy that helped restore US status as a champion of democracy has translated into acute domestic discomfort.

With the midterm elections now less than a month away, Americans’ ...