Bernie Sanders blasts Trump adviser Kevin Hassett’s take on rising energy costs: 'God help us all’
WASHINGTON, DC: Sen Bernie Sanders reacted with disbelief to comments by a top adviser to President Donald Trump about rising energy prices. During a television appearance on Tuesday, April 14, Sanders criticized what he viewed as an unrealistic and dismissive interpretation of current economic conditions.
The United States and Iran are maintaining a fragile ceasefire after more than six weeks of intense fighting, following the collapse of negotiations over its nuclear program. The exchange also highlighted broader concerns about inflation and the financial strain on Americans due to the war.
Bernie Sanders reacts to Kevin Hassett’s remarks on energy prices amid Iran war
The reaction came after Host Chris Hayes played Sanders a video of National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett, who, in a CNBC interview, suggested that inflation could fall significantly if energy prices were to decrease.
Gasoline prices across the US have risen sharply since the conflict with Iran began, with AAA reporting a national average now exceeding $4 per gallon, an increase of more than a dollar compared to the period before US and Israeli strikes, when prices were below $3.
Hassett stated, "Imagine if oil prices start going back down because the situation resolves itself somehow, then you could be looking at inflation close to zero. So that’s something that the Fed needs to pay attention to, because remember, energy prices going down would feed through just as, you know, CPI, top-line CPI has said that energy price is going up right now."
“I mean, I guess the idea is that if energy prices go down, it will be better, but energy prices are going up right now,” Hayes noted after the clip, a remark that prompted laughter from both himself and Sanders. “This is [Trump’s] economic adviser, God help us all,” Sander later said.
The senator continued, "Look, the reality is Netanyahu’s wars in Gaza, West Bank, Iran, Lebanon have not only been grossly immoral and destructive, but they are also impacting billions of people throughout the world. Here in the US, you know, we’re having 60 percent of our people living paycheck-to-paycheck."
He further emphasized, "And now what they’re having to deal with is gas in Vermont, I think it’s over four bucks a gallon, parts of the country, it’s higher than that. And that means less money for food, less money to be able to pay the rent."
Bernie Sanders warns of 'endless war' as Democrats push to limit Trump’s military authority
Sanders expanded his criticism, "So, what you are seeing is all across this country, you’ve got Republicans who said, gee, this guy promised us that we would not get involved in never-ending wars, we would not be involved in the Middle East, this guy who said he was going to bring down prices, control inflation, and what do we got now?"
He continued, "You got an endless war, which, by the way, may end up costing us a trillion dollars. And Trump’s thought is that when we spend that money, we can cut back on healthcare and child care to pay for the war."
Sanders then concluded his remarks, "Pretty crazy stuff. And, you know, now we have an affordability crisis magnified because of the war. So that is why I think you’re seeing people all over this country are saying, hey, what world is President Trump living in?"
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer sharply criticized Trump over his handling of the Iran conflict, while also outlining plans to push for repeated Senate votes aimed at curbing the administration’s military authority. "Let's call Trump's Iran policy for what it is. Not Trump's Operation Epic Fury, Trump's Operation 'Epic Failure'…what a colossal failure," he told a reporter Tuesday on Capitol Hill.
Schumer added that Senate Democrats would begin forcing votes this week on a war powers resolution designed to restrict US military involvement, emphasizing Congress’s constitutional role in decisions over armed conflict.
