I & I Editorial BoardDemocrats were quick to make hay of President Donald Trump’s remark that the high price of gasoline “is peanuts.”
But what if he’s right? What if today’s prices are lower than they were, say, when we had a peanut farmer as president? Or many times since then?
Democrats called Trump “out of touch” with everyday Americans.
“’Peanuts’ isn’t how my constituents would describe the spiking gas prices that make everyday life more expensive,” said New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen. “POTUS isn’t paying for this war. Middle-class Americans are, and he couldn’t care less.”
Trump is, of course, being maligned … again. What he said was that the cost of gasoline “is peanuts” next to what would happen if Iran got a nuclear weapon.
He’s certainly right about that.
But since when did being fair or accurate matter to Democrats or their handmaidens in the press? Which spent the past several days running headlines about “Soaring Fuel Costs,” “Memorial Day Sticker Shock,” and “Gas Prices … Squeezing America’s Food Banks.”
Still, even if you take Trump’s quotation out of context, he’s not entirely wrong.
Yes, the national average is around $4.60 a gallon. And yes, that means filling up a tank will cost you more than $50.
But every story about high gas prices leaves out one piece of critically important context. Inflation.
When you factor in inflation, you see that today’s prices aren’t nearly as high as they have been over the past several decades. In fact, the national average price hit $5.79 a gallon — in today’s dollars — under Joe Biden in June 2022. (Funny, but we don’t seem to recall gasoline price horror stories being written back then.)
Go a little further back, and you see that gas prices were higher than they are today practically the entire two terms of Barack “We Can’t Drill Our Way To Lower Gas Prices” Obama. In fact, the average inflation-adjusted price of gasoline during Obama’s eight years in office was $4.39.
Prices are lower than they were for most of George W. Bush’s second term, and lower than during Jimmy Carter’s stagflation. And this time around, high prices are for an important cause, at least.
Tomorrow, we will report on this space on our latest I&I/TIPP poll, which focuses on gas prices. But we’ll preview one of the most interesting findings: while most blame the Iran war for the spike in gas prices, the public is split on whether the focus today should be on lowering prices or dealing with Iran. Despite the relentless onslaught of negative coverage of the Iran war and the impact it’s having on the economy, many Americans still understand the stakes.
Well, the Iran war will end, Iran won’t get nukes, and gas prices will come down, sharply.
What will the complaint be then?
— Written by the I&I Editorial Board
Everything I&I says in this column I also believe: The Democrats could care less what Trump actually said, the Democratic leaders just suffer with TDS. Also, they have nothing-no positive plan for anything at all. Their strategy is to carp at Trump-and hope their acolytes accept it.
However, saying the truth doesn’t seem to matter. I am so tired of Republicans saying (and maybe they aren’t saying it, it’s just Democratic leaders who are saying the Republicans are saying it, that the consumer is not really hurting as far as affordability is concerned.
Gasoline may be cheaper when you add in inflation since the 70’s, but food prices, rents, insurance, health costs etc. are much higher and the common man is suffering because of these prices.
I also believe that gas prices will plummet (because supply will rise) once the Iranian oil shipment goes back on-line.
I believe Iran’s strategy is to “delay”, which they are masters of doing. I think Trump has not decimated the Iranian Govt. (and Iran) because he wants to wait for the Iranian people to rebel against their Government.
His strategy is to change the Iran Government from one hostile and murderous to America to one friendly-or at least neutral-as far as America is concerned.
And, certainly one where we no longer we have to worry about their proxy murders (many US civilians and military have already been murdered by their proxies-those they pay to exterminate Americans) or their nuclear threat.
I hope this all gets resolved before the upcoming election. If not the maniacal slavering Democratic leaders will hold sway and Trump will be fighting them off for the next two years.
In my opinion, Trump has done a lot for America in the last 2 years and in his 1st term. Obama and Biden-on the other hand-have done a lot to America that Trump has had to correct and has corrected (like the growing economy, and the manufacturing supply chain, and the safety in our hemisphere, and bringing our manufacturing base back home).
To be sure, the November vote will decide America’s future. It is the defining issue, war or peace in the nuclear age, under Trump’s Presidency. We are a divided nation; I pray it is peaceful. He has had many assassination attempts on his life.
I ask what will be the price for a gallon of gas in Manhattan, the day after 4,000,000 people are slaughtered by a detonated nuke? Will the question about the price of gas, be then ranked as peanuts? Who has the theological – moral “right” to slaughter en masse, to develop and use such weapons? Iran’s leader, as best we know, said that within 15 years, Israel will not exist.
I will listen to the debate, then decide on my vote.
“When you factor in inflation, you see that today’s prices aren’t nearly as high as they have been over the past several decades. In fact, the national average price hit $5.79 a gallon — in today’s dollars — under Joe Biden in June 2022. (Funny, but we don’t seem to recall gasoline price horror stories being written back then.)”
This level of gaslighting is absolutely bonkers. There were “I did this” stickers on soooo many gas stations throughout Biden’s presidency. I actually think he lost just because of how high gas prices got for a bit there — it was THE narrative.
Those stickers were put up by individuals, while the mainstream media were downplaying inflation. If you can find stories about the horrors of high gas prices published in mainstream news outlets in 2022 (or during the Obama years, for that matter), we’d be happy to update the editorial. Otherwise, we stand by what we wrote.
I call it STD’s Super Trump derangement syndrome. I need to copyright that phrase
When you look at the amount of WORK we get out of a gallon of gas (even at $4.59) it is a GREAT deal. My car get 32MPG, meaning I don’t have to WALK 32 miles for a mere Fin
News Alert!!! Iran may already have a nuke. Why is it okay for Israel to have them? Why do we send billions to Israel every year? Why do they have free health care? Why are Americans struggling financially? Gas prices are not peanuts. Gas prices are insane, and when we exhaust our strageic reserves, we will be cooked. and Iran know this. 3 months.
“Trump is, of course, being maligned … again. What he said was that the cost of gasoline “is peanuts” next to what would happen if Iran got a nuclear weapon.
He’s certainly right about that.”
BS. Another example of why people are SO SICK of fraudulent journalism.
The only country that would be threatened is Isreal, but only if they invoked their Samson Option and used their hundreds of nuclear warheads to destroy the world if they think they are going to lose.
Russia has THOUSANDS of nuclear warheads AND systems to deliver them the US is powerless to stop.
Of course there is China.
Even North Korea has nuclear weapons.
Any weapon Iran could develop would be a relatively LOW YEALD fission (uranium) warhead, not a fusion (hydrogen) bomb.
Iran does not have any delivery system that can reach the US and is unlikely to spend the money to build an entire system to deliver one or even 10 warheads – which the US Anti-Missile system could probably shoot down.
And of course any nuclear attack on the US would lead to Iran’s instant annelation.
Then again Trump may have a point.
If Iran was known to have a nuclear weapon Isreal would no doubt use one of theirs in a false flag attack to trigger Iran’s destruction.