Fact Check: Is JD Vance's claim gas prices will drop soon true?
AUBURN HILLS, MICHIGAN: As the conflict in the Middle East continues to escalate, Vice President JD Vance has claimed that gas prices will continue to rise in the coming weeks, but claimed it will be only temporary as President Donald Trump is actively working to address it. The claim has drawn criticisms and questions. Let us analyse and fact-check the claim.
Claim: JD Vance says surge in fuel prices is temporary blip
Vance on Wednesday, March 18, described the recent surge in fuel prices following the Iran conflict as a 'temporary blip,' assuring Americans that the administration is working to bring costs down.
Speaking in Auburn Hills, Michigan, Vance acknowledged the impact on consumers but said efforts are underway to stabilize prices.
“Gas prices are up, and we know people are hurting because of it,” he said, adding that the administration is taking steps to ensure prices ease soon.
“We’re working on a number of things… I don’t want to get ahead of the president,” he said, expressing confidence that energy prices would return to normal once the conflict subsided.
He reiterated that Donald Trump had committed to lowering energy costs and that the administration remained focused on delivering on that promise.
Fact Check: False, no sign of drop in fuel price
However, there is no evidence or data that suggests that gas prices are expected to come down as claimed by the Vice President.
Moreover, there are no signs of any relief in the conflict with Iran, which will lead to a reopening of the Hormuz Strait to the US and its allies.
Critics are not convinced that the Trump administration could effectively reverse price hikes on gas, utilities, and other goods.
Jesse Lee, a senior advisor for the group Climate Power, called Vance’s speech an attempt at 'damage control.' Michigan Democratic Party Chair Curtis Hertel said Trump’s agenda is putting lives at risk, hurting Michigan’s manufacturing industry, and increasing the cost of living.
“No amount of lip service from Vance will make up for the fact that Republicans have made life less affordable for working families,” Hertel said.
Global oil prices surge past $100
Global oil prices surged past $100 per barrel earlier this month as concerns mounted over potential disruptions to energy supplies through the strait.
The tensions follow joint US-Israeli strikes targeting Iranian military installations, which have triggered retaliatory attacks by Iran using drones and rockets against oil- and gas-producing nations in the Gulf, several of which host US military bases.
Trump has acknowledged the spike in oil prices but dismissed it as a temporary consequence of the conflict.
“Short term oil prices, which will drop rapidly when the destruction of the Iran nuclear threat is over, are a very small price to pay for US and World, Safety and Peace,” the president wrote on Truth Social.
