Kathrine Frich
The mockery mirrors an earlier viral trend that targeted former President Joe Biden.
Driving up to the local pump used to be a routine chore that barely registered on a driver’s weekly budget.
Lately, watching the digits roll higher on the digital display feels a lot more painful.
But as motorists reach for the fuel nozzle, a cheeky bit of political satire is greeting them right on the glass.
Pointing the finger
Small adhesive stickers featuring President Donald Trump are popping up on fuel pumps across the country. The tiny decals show the president pointing directly at the rising dollar amount alongside a brief message stating, “I did that!”
From New York to North Carolina, motorists are finding the images slapped onto equipment at local filling stations. Anger over steep fuel costs has grown as the military conflict in Iran stretches past its seventh month.
The campaign mirrors an earlier viral trend that targeted former President Joe Biden during the inflation spike in 2022. Drivers are even placing separate stickers on imported goods to mock recent trade policy, according to the New York Post.
Pain at the pump
The financial pinch is getting harder to ignore for everyday commuters. Data from AAA shows the national average for regular gasoline climbed to $4.44 a gallon, while diesel fuel hit a staggering record high of $6.39.
Before military operations began back in February, drivers routinely paid under $3 a gallon. Fuel prices skyrocketed after Iranian forces restricted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical passageway for global crude oil.
Energy Secretary Chris Wright told Fox Business Network that daily oil shipments through the waterway fell to roughly 18 million barrels on Tuesday. That is down from 20 million barrels before the conflict disrupted global supply lines.
Defending the cost
The White House originally promised the military campaign would only last four to five weeks. With upcoming midterm elections threatening the Republican majority in Washington, voters are growing impatient with rising living expenses.
President Trump addressed the frustration directly during a rally in North Carolina. He insisted that current economic sacrifices were necessary for national security.
“It’s a very inexpensive price to pay for what we’ve done. Remember that,” Trump told supporters on Wednesday evening. He went on to predict that prices were “going to come tumbling down … like a rocket ship in reverse.”
Sources: Irish Star, New York Post, Fox Business Network, AAA
