Trump official goes on Fox to explain $4.48 gas — and somehow blames Democrats

Energy Secretary Chris Wright appeared on Fox News Wednesday to defend the Trump administration against Democratic criticism over gasoline prices spiking amid the president’s deeply unpopular war against Iran, and provided a stunning explanation for the record-setting price surges.

Fox News’ Bill Hemmer cued a compilation clip of Democratic lawmakers criticizing the Trump administration for its war against Iran, placing the blame for rising energy costs squarely on the decision to launch the war. And yet, Wright insisted that the blame lay elsewhere.

“It's a little rich, it's a little rich! We're in the middle of solving a 47-year-old problem that's a growing problem about a nuclear-armed Iran,” Wright said.

“The bigger problem, the even bigger problem with gasoline prices, electricity prices, heating prices, is Democrat green policies!”

Gasoline prices in the United States reached an average of $4.48 per gallon in May, an increase of 42.2% over the previous year, Fox News reported. While the price hike coincided with Trump’s war against Iran – which resulted in major disruptions to the Strait of Hormuz, a critical shipping channel through which 20% of the world’s oil trade flows – Wright continued to insist Democratic policies around renewable energy were to blame.

“They've done everything they can for 20 years to drive energy prices up, and now they're upset about high energy prices!” Wright said. “I'm glad, I hope they keep that attitude going forward and will work with us to drive energy prices back down.”