Donald Trump said he expected gas prices to be “much worse” following U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran. His remarks come as fuel costs rise across the country amid ongoing conflict in the region.
Donald Trump thought gas prices would be worse than they actually are
On Thursday, March 19, Donald Trump met Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in the Oval Office. During the press conference, the president said he believed gas prices would be “much worse” after authorizing strikes on Iran.
“Everything was going great, the economy was great, oil prices were very low, and gasoline was dropping too. And I saw what was happening in Iran and I said ‘I hate to make this excursion, but we’re going to have to do it,’ and I actually thought the numbers would be worse,” Trump stated.
“I said, ‘You know, if I do that, oil prices will go up, and the economy will go down a little bit.’ I thought it would be worse, much worse. Actually, I thought there was a chance it could be much worse. It’s not bad, and it’s going to be over with pretty soon,” the president added.
Gas prices in the United States have risen steadily in recent weeks. This comes as the conflict involving Iran approaches its third week. Regional tensions remain elevated. According to AAA, the national average price of a gallon of regular gas reached $3.88 on Thursday, representing nearly a $1 increase from last month.
Separately, Vice President JD Vance made remarks addressing concerns about rising gas prices. During a visit to Michigan on Wednesday, the vice president said, “Look, gas prices are up, and we know they’re up, and we know that people are hurting because of it, and we’re doing everything that we can to ensure that they stay lower.” He called the increase a “temporary blip.”
The vice president further added, “It’s not going to last forever. We’re going to take care of business, we’re going to come back home, and when that happens, you’re going to see energy prices come back down to reality.”
