Harris blames Trump for rising gas prices — after once saying they’re the ‘price to pay for democracy’
Former Vice President Kamala Harris attacked the President this week Donald Trump Due to the increase in gas prices triggered by the US war with Iran.
But four years ago, the then-vice president said rising gas prices, caused in part by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, were “the price to pay for democracy.”
“Gas prices are too high here in North Carolina and across the country,” Harris wrote in an op-ed this week. social media post. “This is a direct result of Donald Trump’s choice of war in Iran, and the American people are paying the price for it.”
The post, published Wednesday, included a video of Harris making the remarks while standing in front of a sign showing fuel prices at a gas station in North Carolina.
Harris Stalls in Key Presidential Primary State After Leaving Door Wide Open to 2028 Run
Former Vice President Kamala Harris (center) speaks to customers during a break at Crave restaurant before a South Carolina Democratic Party fundraiser on Wednesday, April 15, 2026 in Greenville, S.C.
(AP Newsroom)
“We have a president who is more attentive to what he thinks is in his political interests and personal interests as opposed to what is in the best interest of working people in America.” Harris explained At the end of the short video.
Following the USA and Israel, the average price of regular gasoline rose above $4 per gallon Attacks against IranThe war, which lasted a month and a half, decimated the Iranian army and killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and other senior Iranian officials.
In response, Iran targeted energy facilities in Persian Gulf countries with missile and drone attacks. It also made the Strait of Hormuz nearly impassable for commercial shipping, bringing nearly 20% of the world’s oil supply to a halt and causing global fuel prices to rise sharply.
Trump’s attacks on Iran have given political ammunition to Democrats focused on affordability and persistent inflation. This problem also caused them to overperform at the polls in two special congressional elections this month.
Democrats Blame Trump’s Iran War for ‘Broken Promise’ on $4 Per Gallon Gasoline
Gen. Dan Caine (R) said he wanted to keep some details of the historic rescue secret to protect future missions, as President Donald Trump and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, center, promised Iran that the heaviest two days of bombing would come.
The attacks also upset some in Trump’s MAGA base, who felt Trump had broken his 2024 campaign promise to avoid foreign military entanglements.
Current gas prices in the US are at their highest level in four years.
Speaking at a news conference in Bucharest, Romania, during the 2022 surge in gas prices in the early months of the Russia-Ukraine war, Harris said the United States was “committed to everything we do” to support Ukraine.
“And yes, the President said in the State of the Union that there is a price to pay for democracy — you have to stand up for your friends — and as everyone knows, even in your personal life, being true to friendships based on shared principles and values is sometimes difficult, and often not easy.”
“But that’s what friendship is all about – shared values,” Harris said. “So that’s what we’re doing.”
Fox Business: Oil Prices Drop After Strait of Hormuz Reopening
At the time, Republicans placed the blame on the then-president Joe BidenJust as Democrats are now blaming Trump for high gas prices, it’s the Trump administration.
However, the biggest difference between the two situations was that while Trump ordered the US to attack Iran, the Biden administration came to the aid of Ukraine after Russia launched a large-scale military invasion.
At the time, the White House repeatedly blamed Russian leader Vladimir Putin for record-high gas prices in the United States, even calling the increase the “#PutinPriceZip” and promising that Biden would do everything he could to protect Americans from the “pain at the pump.”
But Trump and Republicans capitalized on inflation by using it as a key issue in their massive election victory in 2024 as they won back the White House and Senate and retained the House majority.
Fuel prices are displayed on a sign at a gas station in Miami, Florida, on April 13, 2026.
Democrats hope to turn the tables by spotlighting affordability in this year’s midterm elections as they aim to flip the House and Senate.
Harris, who lost to Trump in the 2024 elections after replacing Biden as the Democratic Party’s candidate, left the door wide open for the 2028 White House race.
Click Here to Download Fox News App
white house He pushed back against Harris’ move this week.
In a statement to Fox News Digital, White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers said, “No one cares or believes what Kamala Harris says because Americans remember the economic pain caused by the Biden-Harris administration’s unpopular and costly Green New Scam. Kamala’s anti-energy domination agenda has caused electricity prices to rise more than 30 percent in just four years, and the average gas price across the country has skyrocketed to $5 in just one year.”
Original article source: Harris blames Trump for rising gas prices after once saying it was ‘the price to pay for democracy’
