Overview
- President Donald Trump told reporters on May 19 that high gas prices were "peanuts" and said he "doesn't even think about" them because his priority is preventing Iran from getting a nuclear weapon, comments made while touring the White House ballroom construction site.
- Gasoline and inflation remain elevated: AAA’s national pump average rose to about $4.55 per gallon from roughly $2.98 at the end of February, and Consumer Price Index measures climbed to multi-year highs in March–April 2026.
- Independent trackers put tangible costs on households — Brown University's Iran War Energy Cost Tracker estimates roughly $40–44 billion in extra U.S. fuel spending so far, about $300–$331 per household.
- Fact-checkers, notably CNN and GasBuddy analysis cited across outlets, refuted Mr. Trump's claims about pre-war prices and inflation, showing the national average on February 28 was near $2.98 per gallon and pre-war inflation rates were higher than he stated.
- Political fallout centers on optics and policy limits: Democrats say the comments deepen perceptions the president is out of touch as the closure of the Strait of Hormuz is identified as the main driver of the supply shock, and proposals like a temporary federal gas-tax pause would deliver only modest pump relief while risking highway funding.