Wright Defends Gas Price Record as Pump Costs Stay High

Americans now pay $4.29 a gallon for gas, up from $3.04 a year ago, according to AAA. Energy Secretary Chris Wright says the Trump administration still hasn’t broken its promise to bring prices down.

Wright made his case Sunday on CNN, as the Iran war entered its eighth month. Dana Bash asked about his earlier prediction that prices would fall “within weeks, not months,” and whether the administration had let Americans down. “No, we haven’t,” Wright said.

Wright’s Defense

Wright didn’t answer on price alone. He pointed to the regime the U.S. is confronting. “The Iranian government killed 30,000 to 40,000 of their own citizens in January of this year before the conflict,” Wright said. “Are you comfortable with a nuclear-armed Iranian regime that’s in power right now? I don’t think anyone is comfortable with that.”

He also stood by his March timeline. “When we discussed in March, I said the conflict part, the active war that we were — the active attacks we were making would be over in four or five or six weeks, and they were,” Wright said. Gasoline prices did fall, he added, and “they never got remotely close to $5 a gallon, over $5 a gallon.”

Bash pressed him about today’s prices. “No, of course I’m not comfortable but I’m happy they’re coming down,” Wright said. Prices have dropped over the last few weeks, and diesel prices have, too, he said. “They will continue to come down. That’s what President Trump works on every day.”

The Pain at the Pump

The national average hides steep regional differences. Some western states have topped $5 since the war began. Washington averages $5.39 and Nevada $5.40. Hawaii sits at $5.63. California’s average is $6.18, while some stations in the Los Angeles area charge more than $7.

Wright’s forecasts haven’t stayed steady. In March, he predicted prices would drop below $3 by summer, though he said there were “no guarantees.” By April, he said they might not fall below $3 until 2027. President Trump called Wright “totally wrong” over that remark. By May, Wright said he was avoiding predictions about when prices would fall.

The Russian Diesel Deal

The administration’s search for relief has led to a deal criticized by both parties. Earlier this month, Trump announced that Russia would “immediately” supply 300,000 tons of diesel to the U.S. and global marketplace, with another 500,000 tons due in November. The announcement came after diesel costs rose. AAA puts the U.S. average at $6.53.

Lawmakers from both parties criticized the deal. Congress had just approved a sanctions package against Russia over its war with Ukraine.

The numbers don’t favor the plan either. “The announced Russian diesel volumes are a small fraction, less than 5 percent, of U.S. diesel demand over the next few months, so they should have very limited impact on U.S. retail prices,” Isabelle Gilks, principal analyst for retail fuels at Wood Mackenzie, previously told The Hill in a statement.

Why This Matters:

Energy prices reach every part of the household budget, from the commute to the grocery bill. The gap between $4.29 now and $3.04 a year ago means a real cost for families. Wright’s argument is that security stakes, including a nuclear-armed Iran, justify the short-term pain. Voters may see that trade-off differently as the war enters its eighth month.

The Russian diesel deal raises another concern. Analysts say the volumes are too small to change retail prices, and the arrangement came just after Congress sanctioned Moscow. Predictable energy policy depends on steady supply and clear signals. Shifting forecasts and a deal critics on both sides call counterproductive offer little of either.