JD Vance warned that there would be a “rough road ahead” for American consumers as gas prices continue to soar because of the Iran war, but promised that the situation was only “temporary.”
“This is a temporary blip,” the vice president said, speaking at an event in Michigan on Wednesday.
“Under the Biden administration, the gas prices were high for four years. Gas prices are higher right now, and frankly, they're not even as high as they were in certain parts of the Biden administration.”
But, Vance, who reportedly was skeptical of Donald Trump’s decision to attack Iran, admitted, “We've got a rough road ahead of us for the next few weeks.”
“Look, gas prices are up, and we know that they’re up and we know that people are hurting because of it, and we’re doing everything we can to ensure they stay lower,” he said, adding that Donald Trump was working on “a number of things” to help ease the situation.
Vance’s remarks come as prices of gas in the U.S. continue to rise due to fallout caused by Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which has heavily impacted global oil supply chains as the conflict stretches into its third week. Around 20 percent of global oil passes through the Strait.
On Monday, the average price of a gallon of diesel reached $5 a gallon, marking the highest rate since December 2022 — the only other time it surpassed this worrying milestone, according to GasBuddy. On Tuesday, the average cost for a gallon of diesel stood at $5.04, up from $3.65 the previous month, according to AAA.
Experts have warned that the elevated price of diesel, derived from crude oil, will trigger knock-on effects for American consumers.
Despite Vance’s comments, Trump has warned that the war with Iran could continue indefinitely and on Wednesday threatened to leave responsibility for opening the Strait of Hormuz to countries that use the route.
In a post on Truth Social, the president wrote: “I wonder what would happen if we ‘finished off’ what’s left of the Iranian Terror State, and let the Countries that use it, we don’t, be responsible for the so called ‘Strait?’
“That would get some of our non-responsive “Allies” in gear, and fast!!! President DJT”.
