Soaring gas prices spawn conspiracy theories about Biden administration and electric vehicles

Washington — Some social media users suggest that soaring fuel prices in the U.S. aren't the result of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, increased consumption or supply chain issues as daily life resumes after two years of stagnation brought on by the coronavirus pandemic.

Instead, the flurry of Facebook and Twitter say, without evidence, that a nefarious scheme is underway: President Joe Biden's administration is intentionally driving up the price of gas to get more American drivers behind the wheels of electric cars.

"$6.00 a gallon gas is how you get people to buy electric cars," claims one popular meme, shared thousands of times across Facebook and Instagram since Tuesday.