Trump says he'll ‘never apologise’ for high gas prices – and the crowd’s reaction is just as concerning | indy100

Kent Nishimura/AFP via Getty Images

Just days after outgoing White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt raised eyebrows for suggesting US president Donald Trump should be thanked for making America more affordable, the 80-year-old told attendees at a rally in Long Island, New York that he’ll “never apologise” for high gas prices brought about by his war in Iran.

Speaking on Friday, the convicted felon said: “For you to pay a little bit more for your gasoline, just remember, you’re doing it so a very evil country cannot have… a country, really, it’s the number one state sponsor of terror in the world, we don’t want to have them have nuclear weapons.

“So remember that, when you have to pay a little bit more, you’re at $4. It’s OK, I mean, it’s… I’m not… I’m not… I’ll never apologise; I did the right thing.”

And the Republican’s unapologetic stance has generated quite a reaction on social media.

Polling USA tweeted: “Thank you Donald for the incredible sound bite that’s about to get played everywhere”:

Ron Filipkowski, editor-in-chief of MeidasTouch, said: “I dont [sic] remember Trump saying during the campaign that we would be paying more for gas to fund a new war”:

Another X/Twitter account said Trump’s second term as president “has been nothing short of a colossal rugpull”:

Anti-Trump organisation Home of the Brave shared a side-by-side comparison of remarks made by the Republican in January 2024 with his Long Island speech:

And MeidasTouch itself also contrasted the comments with those made on the campaign trail:

Criticism was levelled at the crowd, too, with podcaster D’andre Williams commenting: “They clapped. He openly just admitted that he failed one of his biggest campaign promises….and they clapped”:

“They’re hotting and hollering for higher gas prices! They’re actually cheering,” another X/Twitter user wrote:

And author Joyce Carol Oates said it was “curious that anyone would applaud rising prices which [Trump] usually attributes to Biden”:

The remarks were made in the same rally speech which saw Trump announce that he would be “declaring the Hormuz strait a territory” of the US “pretty soon”.

“After we finish defeating Iran, which is being very badly defeated... pretty soon I will be declaring the Hormuz Strait a territory of the United States.

“Essentially, that’s what it is. We have the blockade. No ships get through unless we want them to,” he said.

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