Fact Check: Did Trump say he doesn’t understand oil price hike?
WASHINGTON, DC: Amid the pressure and criticism against the Trump administration over rising gas prices, an allegation began circulating on social media platforms claiming President Donald Trump said he doesn’t understand gas prices, prompting backlash from a reporter. The claim has sparked speculation from netizens, prompting a fact-check.
Claim: Trump said he doesn't understand gas prices
The rumor appeared as a post on X, claiming to show an exchange between Trump and a reporter, where Trump allegedly said, “I don't understand the oil price spike," to which the reporter replied, “You caused it. You waged a war, Hormuz has been closed for 8 months, and you said you'd finish it in 48 hours."
Trump then allegedly hit back, stating, “Get lost, fake news."
The post has circulated widely, garnering hundreds of thousands of views, with many believing it is an authentic exchange, while a few others remain skeptical and have called for a fact-check.
Fact Check: The claim originated as satire
However, the claim is false, as no evidence of such a heated exchange between the president and a reporter over rising gas prices exists.
There are no recent press conferences, interviews, or social media posts from the president or a reporter matching the exchange in the post.
If such an exchange really took place, credible media outlets would have widely reported it, making headlines, given the tensions over rising gas prices.
But a search on Google and other search engines for the claim yielded no relevant news reports, except for the online posts sharing the claim.
Moreover, the claim was posted from an account called ‘InfoGram’ which describes itself in the bio as satire.
Gas price surge during the midterms
Conversation surrounding gas prices dominated the midterm campaign, with the national average for regular gasoline climbing to about $4.29 a gallon right before the election, according to the American Automobile Association (AAA), which is up roughly $1.23, or 40%, from the same time last year.
The spike followed the military strikes against Iran ordered by Trump on February 28 this year. Before the strikes, the AAA said gas averaged $2.98 a gallon, as reported by NBC News. Fuel costs and crude oil prices went higher, hovering near $100 a barrel, due to disruptions in tanker traffic through the vital Strait of Hormuz.
