CNBC’s Joe Kernen Corrects Scalise’s ‘$6 Gas’ Claim On Air

Overview

• House Majority Leader Steve Scalise said on CNBC that two years ago gas was “almost $6” a gallon, a claim Joe Kernen interrupted Thursday to dispute on the spot.
• Kernen cited AAA-style national averages near $3.65 in April 2024, noting today’s prices are higher than that level.
• Reporters pointed to AAA data showing a national average around $4.30 at the time of the segment, after prices had dipped below $3 before late-February strikes tied to the Iran conflict.
• Scalise linked recent price jumps to the Iran situation and touted GOP energy actions, while Kernen pressed him on the numbers that viewers actually paid at the pump.
• Kernen opened by noting prediction markets see the GOP’s hold on the House as weak, and outlets framed the exchange as a notable on-air fact-check that used AAA’s benchmark data.