Six weeks into a war that has roiled global energy markets, closed the Strait of Hormuz, and sent oil prices climbing, President Trump offered the American people a dark forecast of what they can expect at the gas pump in the weeks ahead: high prices that may climb higher.
Speaking to Maria Bartiromo, Trump insisted that the price of gas ”hasn’t gone up as much as [he] thought,” after initiating a war in the Middle East, without, by his own account, much concern for what it would cost the people back home.
In the same interview, Trump admitted that help for Americans at the pump would “not happen initially” as a result of his announced blockade in the Strait of Hormuz. Trump also brushed aside hopes for gas price relief, telling drivers prices could be “a little bit higher” well into November’s midterm elections, seven months away.
“That’s not what families want to hear as they try to stretch their dollars to fill up their tanks and fill the fridge, a task made more difficult by Trump’s decision to start a war. Each day, he’s burning through federal dollars that could have gone to helping working households afford to get by,” said American Bridge 21st Century spokesperson Brandon Weathersby. “If this is what ‘winning’ feels like, Trump forgot to tell people how expensive it would be.”
Published: Apr 13, 2026 | Last Modified: Apr 17, 2026