President Donald Trump attempted to spin high oil prices as a boon for the United States at a rally in Arizona on Wednesday, just hours after new federal data showed that inflation reached its highest level in months in September.

“Because of the price of oil, Texas and Oklahoma and North Dakota and all these places, we’re making a fortune,” Trump declared, referring to states that produce large amounts of crude oil. Those states are home to major fossil fuel companies that have reported windfall profits amid Trump’s illegal war on Iran.

Trump insisted that gas prices — currently at an average of $4.33 per gallon for regular gas and $6.32 for diesel — would tumble once the Iran war ends, but his administration has repeatedly given false timelines for the deadly conflict and has shown no indication that it is willing to reach a lasting diplomatic agreement.

Trump, who has profited massively from his second term in the White House, is a major investor in oil and gas companies. According to one recent analysis, the president’s investments in fossil fuel stocks have boosted his net worth by up to $15.5 million since January.

Working-class Americans, meanwhile, are struggling to make ends meet as high gas prices compound a broader affordability crisis that extends to food, housing, and other necessities. A tracker maintained by the Watson School of International and Public Affairs estimates that American consumers have paid an extra $135 billion combined in fuel costs since the start of the Iran war — roughly $1,030 per household.

Wage growth has not kept up with inflation, which rose to an annualized rate of 3.7% last month.

  • CharlesDarwin@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    50
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    9 hours ago

    Who is the we in that sentence?

    He talks the same way about the taxes he put on so many goods - AKA, tariffs. He keeps talking about how “so much money is coming in” or whatever the fuck.

    I think he talks like this because he views the taxes he raised on all of us as a slush fund he can just use to bribe whoever the fuck he wants - nevermind the actual law, or math, or the fact that it’s just a tax he arbitrarily put on our goods…

    • stoly@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      2
      ·
      3 hours ago

      And it’s not like the oil companies are making more money on this stuff. Their costs are also higher and they are passing them down the line.

    • Malica@lemmy.zip
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      10
      ·
      7 hours ago

      When he says “we” or talks about “America winning”, he means himself. He sees the rest of us as an extension of himself because he’s a narcissist. So when he gets richer, his tiny brain sees it as everyone getting richer.

      • bjc@scribe.disroot.org
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        4
        ·
        5 hours ago

        this is correct in a fashion. when he says “we” he means “everyone”, as you say, but to him, “everyone” means him and his allies. he says “we” in this crowd of people, but the crowd of people do not understand that, to him, they are nothing but objects who are there to adore him and adulate him.

        that’s why he doesn’t even think twice about saying these things. it literally does not occur to him that this crowd can do anything other than praise him for taking so much for himself.

        some time ago, trump was about to take off with some press on the plane, and before it takes off he wished everyone a great flight, then followed up with, "You know why I say that? Because I’m on the flight. Otherwise I wouldn’t care.”

        if you want a deep look into a narcissist, this is just about as raw as it gets. not just that he thinks it but that he has no qualms at all about saying it. he simply says it because he wants to and nothing else matters.

  • Victor@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    17
    ·
    8 hours ago

    Trump, who has profited massively from his second term in the White House, is a major investor in oil and gas companies.

    Oh. Suddenly it makes sense that he would want to abolish every endeavor that tries to mitigate the global climate crisis.

  • DaddleDew@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    11
    ·
    9 hours ago

    I wonder where all that “free money” that appeared in the pockets of the big oil execs and investors came from.

    Because it would be pretty damn stupid to boast about it in front of the people if that money came out of their pockets.

    • Rhaedas@fedia.io
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      6
      ·
      9 hours ago

      It’s yet another price they’ll gladly pay to stick it to the liberals. The ones that realize they’re paying that money.

  • joekar1990@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    3
    ·
    8 hours ago

    He’s got a full schedule based on the calendar… definitely expect it to continue to get more unhinged and Freudian slips.

  • Grass@sh.itjust.works
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    2
    ·
    7 hours ago

    fuck is he still alive enough to do that stupid fucking dance like my great aunt when she comes up with a ‘valid’ reason to open a bottle of wine