Fact Check: Did Trump say oil prices will fall once the Reflecting Pool is complete?
WASHINGTON, DC: After President Donald Trump’s closing speech a day before the midterm elections, a rumor is circulating on social media platforms claiming Trump said oil prices will drop once the renovation of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool is complete. The claim has sparked mockery and concern, with users calling for a fact-check.
Claim: Trump said oil prices will drop once Reflecting Pool is complete
The claim appeared as a post on X, according to which the president said, “The price of oil will fall as soon as the Reflecting Pool is complete.”
The claim has spread across various platforms, garnering tens of thousands of views as of this writing, triggering concerns and criticisms against the Trump administration, with many accusing the president of making false promises ahead of the midterms.
While the backlash against the alleged remark suggests that many believe the remark to be authentic, few others expressed skepticism and called for a fact-check.
Fact Check: Donald Trump made no such remark
Although Trump touted a new drop in oil prices during his closing pitch to voters ahead of Tuesday’s elections, he did not mention that prices will drop once the Reflecting Pool is complete.
Apart from his recent speech at the Reflecting Pool, no other official statements, announcements, or social media posts of the president exist in which he was heard making the above statement.
If Trump had really made such a remark, it would not go unreported by credible news media outlets, even making headlines, given the pressure against the administration over rising gas prices.
Additionally, the claim was posted by an X user named Spencer Hakimian, who, though not explicitly a parody account, has posted similar such fake and exaggerated claims, likely intended as satire.
Donald Trump says oil prices fell amid Iran talks
“Oil today is down $10,” Trump said Monday while delivering his closing midterm remarks.
“It’s going to go down a lot further because we’re winning with Iran, easily winning,” he added and claimed that the decline was “the biggest drop in oil in history.”
Brent crude fell to $104 per barrel on Monday afternoon, down from $112 earlier in the day, while US benchmark WTI dropped to around $96 per barrel from nearly $103.
The price drop came amid some signs of positivity in talks with Iran, and Tehran has offered to reopen the Strait of Hormuz if the US agreed to meet certain conditions.
