President Donald Trump waved off rising gas prices as if Americans weren’t feeling it, brushing aside concerns in a tense back-and-forth with reporters even as costs surged after his decision to launch a deadly military campaign against Iran.
Pressed on the spike, Trump dismissed the concern outright, insisting prices are “not very high” — a claim critics say only reinforced how out of touch he’s become.
To be clear, on Feb. 28, the day Trump launched a military campaign against Tehran, gas was averaging just over $2 a gallon and even lower in some areas of the country.
Within several weeks the price had spiked to an average $3.79 a gallon and by the second week in April it was averaging $4.15 a gallon, according to Triple A. The current national average for a gallon of gas has inched down to $4.07.
During a press gaggle outside the White House on Thursday, April 16, the president appeared to be in denial, not only about the high price of fuel, but the kind of impact it’s having on middle- and lower-income Americans.
“How much longer will Americans continue to see these high gas prices,” a reporter asked.
“Well, they’re not very high. If you look at what they were supposed to be in order to get rid of a nuclear weapon with the danger that entails. So, the gas prices have come down very much over the last three or four days,” Trump stunningly insisted.
Triple A reported prices have come down eight cents since an average high last week of $4.15 a gallon.
The reporter interrupted Trump, suggesting prices are still too high pressing Trump, “$4 a gallon still?” she pushed.
“I know. You know that’s what ABC says,” he shot back, which is of course completely false. ABC doesn’t set gas prices.
Trump quickly tried to divert and distract reminding journalist that “the stock market’s up.”
“Everything’s doing really well,” he said before pivoting to what he believes is a winning argument for his war on the Islamic Republic.
“And the big thing we have to do is we have to make sure Iran does not have a nuclear weapon because if they do, you wanna talk about problems? You’d have problems,” appearing to minimize concerns over high gas and food prices.
Critics say Trump didn’t fool anyone by brushing off rising gas prices while pointing to the stock market and insisting costs aren’t that high.
And it was enough for Democrats to drop the soft approach. Wisconsin Rep. Mark Pocan jumped in and pulled out a photo Trump likely thought was long buried — one that cuts straight at the disconnect critics say he’s trying to spin past.
The photo shows a younger Trump filling up his sports car at a Florida gas station where gas prices were listed as low as $1.29 a gallon with the caption, “Coming from the guy who hasn’t put gas in a car since he filled his Lamborghini in 1995.”
Pocan’s post was a response to journalist Aaron Rupar who posted the clip of Trump denying to reporters that gas prices are expensive.
Of course, a social media backlash quickly followed with Rupar’s post going viral garnering almost 5,500 views. And more than 1,300 reposts.
Other Demcrats jumped in. South Carolina Rep. James Clyburn commented, blaming the president’s decision to go to war in the first place.
“Trump’s own Department of Energy is expecting average gas prices to rise to $4.30/gal in the next few weeks and then stay elevated above $3.70/gal for the rest of the year. Prices are high. People are struggling. And it’s all because of Trump’s decision to go to war with Iran.”
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker weighed in writing, “Donald Trump thinks he can gaslight hard-working Americans into believing today’s gas prices are ‘not very high.’”
National Security analyst Brandon Weichert thinks Trump’s view is awfully familiar, “Marie Antoinette speaks!“
Others agreed. One X user mused, ‘Why do these peasants keep bothering me about high gas prices? Can’t they just try not being poor?’
This X user pointed out, “The concept of $4 a gallon is completely unknown to a billionaire like Trump. He literally can’t comprehend what that means to the average working person.”
Another directed a question to Trump supporters, “I really gotta ask.. MAGA, does this sh** not embarrass you?”
