Energy Secretary Warns There’s ‘No Guarantees’ Trump Will Lower Gas Prices Soon

Energy Secretary Chris Wright says that rising gas prices amid the U.S. conflict with Iran is just a “short-term disruption to the flow of energy” ― but stressed that there aren’t any guarantees Americans will stop feeling it in their pockets anytime soon.

Wright made the comments after moderator Kristen Welker mentioned to him that gas prices are “top of mind for Americans” right now Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

“Since the war began, the national average price for gasoline is up 24%, and diesel prices have jumped 32%. Mr. Secretary, when can Americans expect to see the price of gas come down?” she questioned.

“After the conflict is over,” he responded.

“You’ll start to see prices come back down. But Iran immediately imped[ing] flow through the Strait of Hormuz and launching attacks at all of their neighbors, even those completely uninvolved in this conflict, just illustrates why it’s so important to defang this regime. It’s been the greatest supporter of terrorism in the world,” he continued.

The Trump administration has given mixed messages on Iran, but on Friday, while speaking with Fox News host Brian Kilmeade on his podcast “The Brian Kilmeade Show,” Trump said the U.S. military operation will come to an end when he can “feel it in my bones.”

Claiming that the “greatest killer of American soldiers over the last 20 years has been Iran” and “we haven’t fought a conflict against them until this,” Wright told Welker, “It’s just this president did not want to kick this can down the road to the next administration.”

Declaring that “the world simply can’t see a nuclear-armed Iran” and that he’s “proud” of President Donald Trump’s actions, he said, “But yes, it is a short-term disruption to the flow of energy. Americans are feeling it right now. Americans will feel it for a few more weeks. But at the end, we will have removed the greatest risk to global energy supplies.”

“We’ll go to a world more abundant in energy, more affordable in energy, and less risky for American soldiers and commerce in the Middle East.”