US President Donald Trump yesterday dismissed his top energy official’s view that gas prices will not drop until 2027, saying Americans can expect lower costs as soon as the Iran war ends.
On Sunday, US Energy Secretary Chris Wright told CNN that while petrol below $3 a gallon “could happen later this year, that might not happen until next year.”
“I think he’s wrong on that. Totally wrong,” Trump told a reporter from ‘The Hill’, adding that prices are expected to come down “as soon as this ends.” While Wright, also on CNN, agreed that “with the resolution of this conflict, you’ll see prices go down,” no clear end is in sight.
A fragile ceasefire is set to expire shortly and the chances another round of peace talks succeeding are unclear. Trump and his fellow Republicans are under pressure ahead of November’s midterm elections after pledging to lower costs.
With months left to go, US petrol prices remain high, inflation is rising and Trump’s approval ratings are down. The average price for a gallon of regular gas on Monday was $4.04, according to an estimate by AAA, compared to $3.15 a year ago.