President Donald Trump on Tuesday acknowledged the impact of heightened energy prices on Americans’ spending as one of the reasons behind the GOP’s poor midterm election performance.
Gasoline Hike Was ‘Caused by Iran,’ Trump Says
During a telephone interview with Fox News after the midterm election results showed the Democratic Party securing key victories, Trump defended his administration’s policies.
“We have, think of it, the wealth that this nation’s made in the last short period of time,” Trump said, adding that the U.S. was “losing $25 trillion” under former President Joe Biden.
Trump also touted “tens of trillions of dollars of investment coming” into the U.S. “We actually have the greatest economy,” he said. However, he then admitted that high gas prices had hampered the perception.
“Because of the gasoline price, people don’t see it as much as they would have without it. And the gasoline was caused by Iran,” he said.
According to data collected by the American Automobile Association (AAA), the national average price of gas was $4.1239/gallon on Wednesday. On the diesel front, the national average price remained above $6/gallon at $6.2748, which is a slight decline from Tuesday’s $6.2875/gallon.
Trump Hails Naval Blockade
Trump also hailed the U.S. Naval Blockade on Iran, saying that oil was moving out of the Strait of Hormuz, echoing Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent‘s earlier claims. “Navy blockade will go down in the annals of history as being incredible as a military maneuver,” he said.
Iran’s Ghalibaf Mocks Trump
Following the midterm results, Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said that the results were proof that Americans had rejected Trump’s Iran war. “Conscience or the cost of living, Americans said NO TO WAR, and we endorse this message,” Ghalibaf wrote in a post on X.
Ghalibaf also warned that further military action by the U.S. could open the door to a “new battlefield” in the war after the U.S. conducted strikes on Iran’s Qeshm Island.
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