Former US president Joe Biden has long been the subject of attacks by current Potus Donald Trump and vice president JD Vance, and in the latest example of this, the latter argued Biden is to blame for rising gas prices – as opposed to the war in Iran which was sparked by strikes launched by the US and Israel.
According to AAA, the national average gas price stood at $3.59 per gallon on Thursday, up 34 cents from last week.
However, speaking in Rocky Mount, North Carolina on Friday, the vice president argued: “All of this conversation happens where Joe Biden left us in a terrible situation, and the reason why gas prices are where they are today is because of Donald Trump’s work to get them lower, because the Biden administration, they were crazy high.
“The gas prices we’re seeing today are nothing like what we saw at the peak of the Biden administration because the president has set us up for energy dominance. And one of the lessons we all have to take away, frankly, every time we get involved in anything overseas – whether it’s in the Middle East or anywhere else – the thing we’ve got to take away from it is energy dominance and energy independence.
“We rely on our own people, rely on our own energy.”
Yet progressive commentator Alex Cole was one of many to criticise Vance’s claims, describing the economics of the MAGA movement as “just astrology for people who failed civics”:
Podcaster Lou Zacharilla quipped: “Pretty soon they’ll blame George Washington for starting the country”:
“Bro, it’s 2026. It can’t be Biden’s fault any more,” wrote one X/Twitter user:
Another tweeted: “This must hit so hard if you’re incredibly dumb”:
And a third pointed out that it’s been more than 400 days since Biden left office and Trump was inaugurated:
It isn’t the first time that the Trump administration has issued bizarre remarks on rising prices amid the violence in the Middle East, either, as the US president himself appeared to suggest the surge in oil prices is good for America because “we make a lot of money”.
Yes, really.
Why not read…?
Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter
How to join the indy100's free WhatsApp channel
Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.
