Trump says media misrepresented his remarks comparing high gas prices to Iran bombing California cities
Trump defends his recent comments about gasoline prices, saying he was comparing the temporary cost of fuel to the hypothetical devastation of an Iranian attack on San Diego and Los Angeles rather than inviting a strike.
WASHINGTON D.C. — Donald J. Trump says the media misrepresented his remarks comparing temporary high gasoline prices to the hypothetical devastation of Iran bombing major U.S. cities. The clarification comes amid elevated fuel costs driven by the ongoing conflict with Iran, which has raised national average gas prices to over $4.00 per gallon.
Here is the full post on truthsocial: “The Fake and Artificial News is out there trying to say that I’m inviting the enemy to bomb San Diego and Los Angeles when, in actuality, what I was talking about was that a temporary increase in the price of Gasoline is a small price to pay for Iran not having a Nuclear Weapon and, if you want to see a big price, can you imagine what it would be like if they bombed San Diego and/or Los Angeles? All I was doing was making a comparison between paying a little more, for a short time, for Gasoline, versus the bombing of our Major Cities. Everybody knew that, the Fake News knew it as well, but they continue to go out and say that I am asking the enemy to bomb two Cities that I love. It’s totally clear what I say but, these people are Degenerates, and think they can continuously get away with Fake News! Trump” on October 8, 2026 at 2:59 PM ET.
This is Trump’s 5th message released today, and the last post was 1 hour ago, and it is not part of a thread. On average, Trump produces 17 posts per day since his inauguration on January 20, 2025. The move fits a broader pattern in Trump’s recent messaging, with 29 of his 387 posts over the last 30 days classified as Media bias posts.
President Donald J. Trump issued a statement in WASHINGTON D.C.
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The national average price for a gallon of regular gasoline stood at $4.06 recently, which is more than 92 cents higher than a year ago, according to alaska-native-news. Trump has repeatedly defended the high gas prices as the necessary cost of preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons, according to alaska-native-news.
Zenger analysis
Photo by Zenger analysis
Protomaps / Natural Earth – Iran
Photo by Protomaps / Natural Earth – Iran
President Trump is the author of The Art of the Deal, Think Like a Billionaire, and Think Big. Analyst and Trump supporter Rod Martin points to The Art of the Deal, Trump's 1987 book, as an explanation of his deal-making philosophy: making big announcements, pivoting often in public statements and, Martin says, ultimately getting what he wanted all along. Critics contend that Trump's books were published decades ago or were aimed at making money, not shedding light. "Generally," Martin said, "critics don't read The Art of the Deal. If they did, they would understand."