Trump Calls Americans Who Are Concerned About Skyrocketing Oil Prices “Fools” 

Thanks to Trump’s war in Iran, the national average price of gasoline rose 51 cents in the last week to $3.45 per gallon, one of the fastest increases in years

Washington, DC – As Donald Trump’s war in Iran enters its second week, Trump continues to insist that surging gas prices are a “very small price to pay” and that anyone who thinks otherwise is a “fool.” The comments come just days after Trump told Reuters that if gas prices “rise, they rise” and that he doesn’t have “any concern” about skyrocketing prices at the pump. Meanwhile, oil prices have surpassed $100 per barrel for the first time since 2022, as families are already paying more for utilities, health care, and groceries. Energy Secretary Chris Wright admitted that Americans will feel pain at the pump for “weeks” to come. 

Trump promised to cut energy costs in half, but instead, he is dragging the country into a dangerous war and then gaslighting the American people by claiming that gas prices “haven’t risen very much.” Trump and Republicans have gutted homegrown clean energy projects that would have protected consumers from oil shocks, and now, American families are paying the price. 

CBS News: Gas prices surge as oil tops $100 a barrel. Here’s how much Americans are paying.

Gasoline prices in the U.S. continued climbing on Monday after the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran pushed oil prices above $100 per barrel, the highest since 2022.

The average national cost of gas is now $3.48 per gallon, up 48 cents since last week and 58 cents from a month ago, according to data from AAA. That remains considerably lower than during the pandemic, when a disruption in oil supplies pushed the cost of regular gas up to $5.02.

USA Today: Oil tops $100 a barrel, gas nears $3.50 a gallon as war widens

“I believe there is roughly an 80% chance the national average price of gasoline reaches $4 per gallon within the next month- or sooner,” Patrick De Haan, an independent energy analyst, wrote on March 8.

“The financial impact is significant,” De Haan added. “Americans spend roughly $3.7 million more per day for every one-cent increase in the national average price of gasoline.”

The Independent: Gasoline prices have already jumped 17% since Iran attacks started with oil prices continuing to soar

President Donald Trump has so far attempted to downplay the problem on the homefront, posting on Truth Social Sunday: “Short term oil prices, which will drop rapidly when the destruction of the Iran nuclear threat is over, is a very small price to pay for U.S.A., and World, Safety and Peace.”

That followed him telling Reuters dismissively last week: “If they rise, they rise.”

Forbes: Gas Prices Hit $3.47 Per Gallon As Crude Oil Soars To Highest Level Since 2022

In a post on Truth Social, President Donald Trump appeared to dismiss concerns about soaring oil prices, noting: “Short term oil prices, which will drop rapidly when the destruction of the Iran nuclear threat is over, is a very small price to pay for U.S.A., and World, Safety and Peace.” The president then added: “ONLY FOOLS WOULD THINK DIFFERENTLY!”

Axios: Oil, gas prices spike as Iran war thrusts Strait of Hormuz into crisis

The Iran war has cast a sharp spotlight on the global economy’s reliance on the Strait of Hormuz.

Why it matters: The strait is a chokepoint for critical global commodities — and prices for oil, gas, plastics and fertilizers are already surging on fears of war-related disruptions.
The big picture: American consumers and businesses are already experiencing the effects, with average gasoline prices up 17% since the war began, according to the Oil Price Information Service.