Nicolai Haugsted
JD Vance faces backlash after defending soaring gas prices during live interview.
Americans have been watching fuel prices climb for months as the war with Iran continues to disrupt global energy markets.
For the Trump administration, explaining those numbers has become increasingly difficult as November’s midterm elections approach.
Vice President JD Vance faced that problem directly during a stop in Greensboro, North Carolina, on Monday, where a reporter asked how much longer Americans should be expected to tolerate steep prices at the pump.
Vance pointed firmly at Iran.
“We’re very cognizant of the fact that because the Iranians are terrorizing international shipping, energy prices are elevated,” he said according to The Mirror.
“We’re doing everything that we can to try to tamp down on those prices, but give the American people some relief in the interim.”
Vance says Iran is responsible for the pain at the pump
The Strait of Hormuz has become crucial to the argument coming from the White House.
Iranian attacks and disruption around the strategically important shipping route have complicated the movement of oil and helped drive up global energy costs. Vance has repeatedly argued that Tehran bears responsibility for the resulting pressure on American motorists.
“We, of course, are gonna try to push back against that, but that is why gas prices are so high,” Vance said Monday.
His argument echoed comments he made earlier in September, when he said Iranian attacks on commercial vessels were discouraging ships from using the route and affecting energy markets.
The administration maintains that US military action is helping protect international commerce and prevent a much larger energy crisis.
Monday’s question was hardly theoretical. US diesel prices have reached record territory, creating significant pressure for farmers, trucking companies and other businesses heavily dependent on fuel.
The national average stood around $6.50 per gallon this week, compared with approximately $3.70 a year earlier. Diesel has risen nearly 60 percent since the Iran war began almost seven months ago.
Oil markets have also been dealing with expensive tanker rates and logistical problems around the Strait of Hormuz. A shortage of available supertankers has added another layer of costs to moving crude around the world.
Vance acknowledged that Americans are feeling the consequences but argued that Washington cannot simply ignore Iranian activity.
Viewers turn Vance’s explanation back on Washington
Reaction online quickly moved beyond the vice president’s explanation.
Some viewers argued that the Trump administration itself bears responsibility because the fuel-price surge followed the US conflict with Iran.
“So in other words, you morons started a war that you have no idea how to win,” one viewer wrote in response to Vance’s remarks, according to the Irish Star.
Another response went in precisely the opposite direction and backed a far more aggressive approach toward Tehran:
“Iran is terrorizing international shipping! We have to stop them and nuke them now!”
Those reactions represent individual social-media comments rather than broader measures of public opinion, but they illustrate the sharply different responses surrounding the administration’s handling of the conflict.
Vance was in Greensboro primarily for politics closer to home. Earlier Monday, he campaigned for Republican Senate candidate Michael Whatley, who is running against former Democratic governor Roy Cooper.
North Carolina is receiving heavy attention ahead of November’s midterms, making the cost of fuel an especially inconvenient subject for Republicans campaigning there.
Regular gasoline in North Carolina stood at roughly $4.13 on Monday, while diesel was around $6.24, according to figures cited by Climate Power.
The administration has discussed possible relief measures, including encouraging states to reduce gas taxes temporarily. Vance mentioned that option while speaking to reporters Monday.
