People on social media criticized Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy after he brought up inflation under former President Joe Biden.
“No one over here complained about Joe Biden’s inflation, which was wild,” Duffy told reporters on Thursday.
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Duffy joined Rep. Tom Barrett (R-MI) at the Capital Region International Airport in Lansing, Michigan, to discuss the Trump administration’s investment in American aviation infrastructure when a reporter asked him to talk about the increase in gas prices.
“A lot of people around here can’t afford to fly,” a reporter said. “Can you say something about the dollar? Gas prices are $1 more than they were a year ago. Can you talk to us about that?”
Duffy responded to the question, arguing that while the Trump administration is working toward bringing back American energy dominance, it is also having to combat a “nuclear Iran.”
“In a short time, we have some issues with the Strait of Hormuz,” Duffy said. “But you have a fuel price per barrel at $81 to $82, which is pretty remarkable that it’s as low as it is with the Strait of Hormuz. It’s that low because of American energy dominance. That’s a president who believes that we should actually produce energy here. We should refine energy here, and now, we’ve become a net exporter here.”
NATIONAL AVERAGE GAS PRICES HIT RECORD HIGH FOR A CALENDAR YEAR
The national average gas price continues to remain above $4 per gallon, which is one dollar more than last year’s, which was around $3, according to the American Automobile Association. The increase in these prices is a result of closing the Strait of Hormuz due to the Iran war.
In 2022, during Biden’s presidency and at the beginning of the Russia-Ukraine war, the average gas price was more than $5 per gallon.
