US President Donald Trump called the rise in gasoline prices “a minor setback”, demonstrating his lack of concern about the impact on fuel prices for Americans as the war with Iran reaches its ninth day.
“I think everything is fine. It’s a small setback. We had to make this detour. I knew exactly what was going to happen with the detour,” he said in an interview with ABC News.
“But the good part is that we sank 44 of their ships, which represents their entire fleet,” he said, continuing with praise for the US military efforts in the war.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt described the rise in gasoline prices as “a short-term disruption for a long-term gain.”
“This is a short-term disruption to the long-term gain of eliminating the Iranian terrorist regime and finally ending the restriction on the free flow of energy in the Middle East and the Strait of Hormuz,” Leavitt said.
Energy Secretary Chris Wright told Jake Tapper of CNNthat an oil tanker passed by “about 24 hours ago”.
The passage typically sees 60 or more ships per day. Leavitt also said Trump is “exploiting our new market in Venezuela” after the US captured the country’s president, Nicolás Maduro, and Trump said he would confiscate the country’s oil reserves.
“This is a short-term disruption. We are seeing a slight increase in oil and gas prices, but ultimately the fall of the Iranian regime will be beneficial to the oil industry, and these prices will come back down,” she said.
Since fighting began in Iran a week ago, gasoline prices have risen 47 cents, or 16%, reaching US$3.45 per gallon of regular gasoline, according to data from AAA this Sunday (8).
Popularity of the war: Trump also stated that the US conflict with Iran is “more popular than ever”, despite polls indicating otherwise and the disagreement of some Republicans who support MAGA (Make America Great Again).
“The Popularity of War”
Trump also claimed that the US conflict with Iran is “more popular than ever”, despite polls suggesting otherwise and disagreement from some Republican supporters of the Maga movement.
“It’s a very MAGA thing that we’re doing,” he said, adding, “Because otherwise we won’t have a country anymore either, we’ll be attacked. And MAGA is all about saving America.”
Fifty-nine percent of Americans disapproved of the initial decision to attack Iran, according to a poll by CNN/SSRS held shortly after the start of the war, with 41% approving.
In a survey of NBC News released on Sunday, his approval of his handling of Iran also stood at 41%.
Worthy transfer
The president told ABC that yesterday’s meeting with the families of the six American soldiers killed in the war did not make him hesitate.
“The parents would be upset if I did that,” he said.
“The parents said to me, all of them, ‘Please, sir, win this war for my son,’ and in one case, a young woman, as you know, ‘Please win this war for my son.’”
