Eric Trump draws flak for whining about cost of oil while claiming he spent $130 to fill up his SUV

WASHINGTON, DC: Eric Trump recently vented his frustration at the Biden-Harris administration for failing to acknowledge that American gas and oil prices are rising, making it more expensive for the average person to afford them.

However, he came under heavy fire online, after he made the allegations during a Fox News appearance. 

Eric Trump claims people 'can't afford life anymore'

"We had $1.89 gas under Donald Trump. It cost me $130 to fill up my SUV two days ago," the son of former president Donald Trump whined. "People can't afford life anymore […]" His tirade made many consider the irony in the Republican's remarks and that if he was genuinely concerned for the common person or if he was merely bragging about his wealth.

A brief look into oil prices under Trump administration

Before Donald Trump assumed office in 2017, the average price of fuel had been on the decline for two years. During Trump's first two years in office, the average national price of gasoline increased before dipping somewhat in his third year. The 78-year-old enforced certain measures to support the oil sector, but it would take years for such moves to affect supply and, in turn, pricing.

Trump is sometimes credited with lowering the cost of gasoline. Nevertheless, in his first three years in office, the average price was higher than in Barack Obama's final two years in office. Although most people tend to overlook this, increasing oil prices are driven by macro causes like robust worldwide demand.

The oil markets were thrown off balance in 2020 when the Covid-19 pandemic struck. Stay-at-home directives led to a sharp decline in oil demand by April 2020. By May 2020, production had decreased by 3 million barrels per day. Oil futures experienced a brief decline. The national average price of gasoline briefly fell below $2.00 per gallon, and the stock market was collapsing.

The price of oil fell due to a decrease in demand for gasoline as most people ceased traveling. The orders for residents to stay at home played a significant role in the decline in gas prices.

However, as soon as those orders were lifted, the cost of gas shot up. Gas prices increased by almost 25% in the final eight months of Trump's presidency, after dropping to $2.00 per gallon. The summer of 2020 saw the start of the surge, which persisted into 2021, per Oilprice.com.

In actuality, during the final year of Trump's presidency, gas prices did drop significantly. However, the reaction to the Covid-19 epidemic was the reason for that decline. Moreover, costs had started to rise sharply even before Trump departed office in January 2021.

Internet mocks Eric Trump for speaking up on high gas prices

Eric Trump received harsh criticism from netizens for his comments about filling up his car while complaining about high gas costs.

One X user tweeted, "If he has a completely empty 16-gallon tank, that would mean he paid $8.12/gallon to fill up. The most expensive gas in the USA right now is $5.15/gallon. The average gas price in the USA right now is $3.27/gallon. He is lying."

Another wrote, "The gas clerk came up with tears in their eyes. Lol."

"Gaslighting at its best. This guy probably hasn't been to a gas station," opined one while someone else remarked, "So is Eric lying/ Or is he's telling us he pays someone in cash to gas up his SUV and that person is ripping him off?"

"This dude is so cringe…and I hate using that word," echoed one user. 

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.