Gas Prices Over $4 In All 50 States. Trump Says It’s ‘Peanuts’
The average price of gas reached a four-year high ahead of Memorial Day, when millions of Americans are expected to travel throughout the country
Black News 
As we near the third month of a war with Iran that President Donald Trump said would only last for a few weeks, the economic consequences continue to be felt by the American public. For the first time in four years, gas prices in all 50 states have topped $4 a gallon.
According to data from AAA, the national average price for a gallon of gas is $4.56. California is seeing the worst of it, with prices averaging above $6 a gallon. In my home state of Arizona, prices have hovered between $4.89 and $4.99 for the last two months. For comparison, the average price of gas was $2.98 on Feb. 28, the day the war with Iran began.
The price increases come from a combination of certain key fuel refineries being damaged during the initial airstrikes at the start of the war, as well as the prolonged closure of the Strait of Hormuz, where much of the world’s oil supply passes through. Unless the U.S. and Iran can reach an agreement to end the war and reopen the Straight of Hormuz, experts believe prices will only increase during the summer.
“BREAKING: GasBuddy Forecasts Most Expensive Summer at the Pump in Years Amid Strait Closure … possibly touching $5/gal, setting new record average of $4.80 per gallon, exceeding 2022’s summer average of $4.43 if the Strait remains closed,” Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, said in a post on X.
Fuel prices don’t just affect U.S. citizens at the pump, but have an impact on prices across the board. Much of the nation’s food and various goods are transported through diesel-fueled semitrucks. The increased cost to transport those goods means that the prices have and will continue to increase to make up the difference. The increase in the cost of jet fuel has already increased the price of airfare, meaning that whether you’re driving or flying, Memorial Day travel is going to be significantly more expensive. That increase in cost has not stopped a record number of Americans from making travel plans for the holiday.
Retailers are already seeing the impact higher gas prices are having on their sales. According to CNBC, Walmart reported lower-than-expected earnings during its quarterly earnings report and cited the strain of increased gas prices as one of the core reasons.
For his part, Trump remains completely unconcerned about the impact increased gas prices are having on the wallets of U.S. citizens. While speaking with reporters, he called the increased prices “peanuts.” This should come as no surprise, considering only a week ago, Trump said, “I don’t think about Americans’ financial situation. I don’t think about anybody. I think about one thing. We cannot let Iran have a nuclear weapon. That’s all.”
It’s wild that a man who was elected on lowering prices and starting no new wars has zero concern about how the new war he started is affecting prices. Especially as this is a man who loves to tout how strong the economy is under him.
SEE ALSO:
Iran War Already Increasing Gas Prices, Mortgage Rates
Senate Democrats Estimate Iran War Cost Americans $8.4B In Gas Prices
