President Donald Trump said on Thursday that gas prices were “not very high” compared to the cost of allowing Iran to potentially get a nuclear weapon.
Trump was asked by reporters how long Americans would have to deal with elevated gas prices while departing the White House for a visit to Nevada.
“Well, they’re not very high,” Trump said. “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, four days.”
“We have to make sure that Iran does not have a nuclear weapon, because if they do, you want to talk about problems, you’d have problems,” the president added.
According to AAA, the national average price for a gallon of gas stood at $4.10 on Wednesday. California had the highest average prices in the country, at $5.87 per gallon.
The White House has argued that the rise in gas prices is a temporary result of Iran blocking oil from passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Wednesday that discussions with Middle Eastern counterparts about the Iran oil crisis left him hopeful that relief could come relatively soon.
BESSENT ‘OPTIMISTIC’ GAS PRICES WILL FALL TO $3 A GALLON BY MIDSUMMER
“I’m optimistic that sometime between June 20 and September 20, we can have $3 gas again,” Bessent said at a White House press briefing. He added that the pace of any decline will hinge on how negotiations tied to the war in Iran unfold.
Political strategists from both parties said the uncertainty poses a challenge for Republicans seeking to hold on to their House and Senate majorities, as higher energy costs driven by the war ripple through the broader economy.