Gas Price Clash: Lawmaker Presses Numbers as Hegseth Points to California Costs

A lawmaker asked Hegseth whether he knew the average cost of a gallon of gas in the United States on February 28. Hegseth pushed back by saying it depends on where Americans live and immediately pointed to California, where fuel costs are often far higher than much of the country. But the lawmaker kept pressing. He asked whether Hegseth knew the average cost today. Hegseth again referenced California prices, but the lawmaker supplied the number himself: $4.23. Then he delivered the bigger accusation. He said Hegseth had claimed a “crack economic team” was looking at the impact of the war on American taxpayers. But if Hegseth could not answer a basic question about gas prices, the lawmaker argued, that should “shock the conscience of every American.” #PeteHegseth #GasPrices #USPolitics #CaliforniaGasPrices #TrumpAdministration #CongressHearing #Inflation #EnergyCosts #AmericanTaxpayer #WarCosts #EconomicPolicy