Trump’s energy secretary said president is about ‘driving energy prices down’ as Iran war continues to keep them high

Trump’s energy secretary said president is about ‘driving energy prices down’ as Iran war continues to keep them high National fuel costs remain high as the Trump administration ties elevated prices to efforts to block Iran’s nuclear program - Bookmark - CommentsGo to comments Become an Independent member to bookmark this article Already a member? Log in Energy Secretary Chris Wright defended the Trump administration’s economic record during a Tuesday appearance on Fox News, arguing that President Donald Trump was focused on lowering energy costs despite high gas prices driven by the Iran war. Appearing on Fox News’s “America Reports,” Wright faced questioning from anchor John Roberts regarding elevated fuel costs. “Let’s talk about gas prices,” Roberts said. “They are still naggingly high. The president has been saying since March that they’re going to come down. They haven’t. There’s no relief in sight and certainly none expected before November 3rd, so what do you tell consumers?” An on-screen display showed the national average for regular gasoline standing at $4.27 per gallon, compared to $3.05 a year ago and $4.48 a month prior. Wright acknowledged the financial effect of foreign policy decisions. “Making sure that Iran doesn’t get a nuclear weapon absolutely has come at a cost,” he said. “But gasoline prices peaked several weeks ago. They have been slowly coming down. … We want to see it lower. They will go lower — conflict-related.” Wright added: “The difference is, with Democrat energy policies, they never go away. Republican policies are about energy addition. President Trump’s about driving energy prices down. But yes, he is ending Iran’s nuclear program, and that’s causing a temporary elevation of prices. Very unfortunate that it’s around election time, but he’s governing for the long term.” Co-anchor Sandra Smith questioned Wright on the potential political fallout. “Seven days out from the midterm elections, how much of a political liability do you think these high energy prices are for the Republican Party?” Smith said. Wright acknowledged the voter frustration. “People are clearly upset about higher energy prices,” Wright said. “Energy is fundamental to people’s lives. We’ve had these [Democratic] policies that have just needlessly driven up energy prices. The Trump administration has been all about doing exactly the opposite.” During the exchange, network graphics showed diesel fuel was averaging $6.35 per gallon, up from $3.66 last year. Roberts pushed back on the idea of long-term relief. “Although if the president does come back to kinetic activity in Iran, I’m sure the prices will go back up again, even though they’ve come down,” he said. The exchange comes as nationwide gas prices remain higher than during the Biden administration, according to recent federal data. During Trump’s second term, Americans have paid an average of $3.74 for a gallon of unleaded gas, compared to $3.69 under Joe Biden, according to Federal Reserve price tracking. Earlier this month, fuel tracker Patrick De Haan noted on social media that prices had exceeded $4 per gallon for 158 days in 2026 — more than any previous year. At the start of 2026, unleaded fuel averaged less than $3 per gallon before the war in Iran began in late February. Slowed oil shipping drove average gas prices above $4 per gallon in March, peaking at $4.65 in May before rebounding to $4.48 by September. A New York Times/Siena University poll found that 73 percent of voters disapprove of Trump’s handling of gas prices. Speaking at a rally last week, Trump said he “doesn’t give a damn” that Americans are paying more for gas, and that the U.S. was making “hundreds of billions of dollars” on oil because of the Iran War. Voters across the country have expressed growing concern over inflation. “Groceries are just like kind of out of control,” Iowa farmer Bethany Lnenicka, a three-time Trump voter, said. “It seems like everything is going up. It’s just one thing and the next week it’s another thing. It’s just insane. And of course your income doesn’t go up.” To mitigate rising costs, the administration has taken regulatory measures in recent months, including increasing domestic diesel production, granting tax breaks on commercial diesel fuel and temporarily rolling back environmental rules on select gasoline blends. Join our commenting forum Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies Comments